Sweet Potato Cake

This Sweet Potato Cake starts with a incredibly moist cake made with sweet potatoes and warm spices, then topped with a cinnamon crumble and maple pecan glaze!

Easy Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

If you are a sweet potato lover, you are going to love this sweet potato cake recipe! I add a crumble topping for texture and finish it with a simple maple glaze that makes this one of the best Fall desserts! However, we do tend to make this cake all year round because it’s just so good. It makes the whole house smell heavenly!

We love baking desserts using sweet potatoes and have several delicious recipes including sweet potato pie, sweet potato muffins and sweet potato bread.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Cake

• Crowd pleaser. This cake is moist and fluffy, and everyone always goes for seconds.
• Uses year-round ingredients. You will find all the ingredients for this sweet potato cake recipe all year long.
• Easy recipe. It’s a simple recipe that doesn’t take a lot of effort to make but looks beautiful!

Ingredients Needed

I separated the ingredients below to make it easier to distinguish all of the components of this sweet potato cake recipe. To find exact measurements, scroll down to the recipe card below.

For the Cake

• Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour because it’s simple and cheap, and I always have it around.
• Sugar: I use white granulated sugar to sweeten the cake batter.
• Baking powder: So the cake rises and has a perfectly soft and fluffy texture, you need baking powder.
• Spices: I chose nutmeg to add warmth to the cake and to pair with sweet potato. I also add salt to balance the sweetness. Feel free to add a pinch of cinnamon, too!
• Sweet potatoes: Freshly cooked sweet potatoes provide the best texture and flavor. Peel and chop them and cook them in boiling water so you can mash them.
• Milk: Whole or 2% milk both work in this sweet potato cake recipe.
• Eggs: For structure and flavor, eggs are key. I also prefer to add them at room temperature to prevent lumps.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extra adds a subtle vanilla flavor that also brings out the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
• Butter: Melt the butter before you prepare the cake batter so it has a little bit of time to cool. I recommend unsalted butter since there is added salt. If you have salted butter, omit the salt.

Crumble Topping

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar has more depth and moisture than white sugar, making it the perfect sweetener for the crumble topping.
• Flour: To achieve the perfect texture, I add some flour to the mixture.
• Cinnamon: I like to add cinnamon to tie in the flavor profile of the maple glaze and nutmeg in the cake.
• Butter: Ensure the butter is softened and not melted so preserve the crumbly texture.

Maple Glaze

• Powdered sugar: I use powdered sugar in the glaze for a bit of thickness and of course sweetener.
• Milk: Keep as is or use a bit more depending on the consistency that you prefer.
• Maple syrup: This has to be pure maple syrup and not breakfast syrup – makes a huge difference in flavor.
• Vanilla: I also add pure vanilla extract to enhance the flavor of the syrup and the cinnamon.
• Cinnamon: This pairs perfectly with the maple and pecan in the glaze as well as the nutmeg in the cake.
• Pecans: For a crunchy texture, chopped pecans are added to the glaze as well, but feel free to leave them out.

How to Make Sweet Potato Cake

Here are the directions on how to make and bake the cake, and prepare the crumble and the glaze.

• Prep the oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are well combined.
• Mix the wet ingredients. Combine the sweet potatoes and milk in a separate bowl. Then, mix in the eggs and vanilla.
• Stir the ingredients together. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture and stir until well combined. Next, stir in the melted butter.

• Transfer. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and set it aside.
• Make the crumble. Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture takes on a crumbly texture. Sprinkle it over the top of the cake batter and use a knife to swirl it.

• Bake. Put it in the oven and bake it for 35-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center and ensure it comes out clean. 
• Make the glaze. Whisk the glaze ingredients in a separate bowl until combined and smooth. Pour it over the top of the cake.

• Serve. Slice and enjoy!

Proper Storage

Store leftovers of this sweet potato cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze it tightly covered for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying it.

More Sweet Potato Recipes to Try

• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Butter
• Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Butter Smashed Sweet Potatoes
• Autumn Soup