This sweet potato cake with cream cheese frosting is EASY to make and is a huge hit with everyone who’s tried it. It’s fall in cake form!
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OK people. Let me tell you about the best way possible to eat your veggies: SWEET POTATO CAKE! I’m all for carrot cake or zucchini bread or pumpkin anything because I like to pretend the addition of vegetables makes them healthy.
But sweet potato cake (with maple cream cheese frosting!) has completely stolen my heart and this glorious dessert is my new go-to for fall.
And, if I’m being honest, it’s going to be my go-to for the rest of the year. You’d better believe I’ll be bringing sweet potato cake to Easter brunch next year 🙂
The flavor profile of this cake is very similar to pumpkin cake because of the warming spices, but the flavor of the sweet potato is very mild and obviously not pumpkin-y.
The cake itself is dense but incredibly tender and the maple cream cheese frosting is simply heavenly. Sweet, maple-y, and totally addictive. It goes beautifully with the spice in the cake layers.
Why you’ll love this sweet potato cake:
- It’s really easy—all you need to make it is one mixing bowl and a hand-held mixer!
- It’s a great fall-themed alternative for people who don’t like pumpkin
- The ingredients are all easy to find and you probably have most on hand right now
Sweet potato cake layers, step by step
The first thing to do is bake your potatoes. I made the cake both with sweet potatoes I’d baked in the oven and with sweet potatoes I baked in the microwave and didn’t notice a difference in taste, so use whichever method you prefer.
Once the potatoes are nice and tender, mash them and discard the peel; you need 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potato (from about 14 to 16 ounces of potatoes).
When I said this cake is easy, I meant it—just take a look.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer to combine, then add the remaining ingredients.
Beat the batter until the mixture is smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula every now and then.
Baker’s tip: Make sure your sweet potatoes are mashed really well before you add them to the cake batter; this batter is thick and you don’t want your mixer to work any harder than it needs to.
Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans and use an offset spatula to smooth the top and spread the batter all the way to the edges of the pan. Don’t skip this step! The batter is very thick and doesn’t spread out very much on its own. (I think an offset spatula does a better job than a regular one but use what you have.)
See? It’s as simple as it gets without using a boxed cake mix!
Maple cream cheese frosting, step by step
Combine the room temperature butter and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and beat until they’re very smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low to combine, then turn mixer to medium and beat until the frosting is smooth.
Note: If you don’t care for maple you can substitute 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for the maple flavor.
Assembling your sweet potato cake
Place one cake layer on a cardboard cake circle or a cake stand and spread about 3/4 cup of frosting over the top. Top with a second cake layer and use the remaining frosting to frost your cake.
I pressed chopped walnuts into the side of my cake but you could use chopped pecans or just leave it plain.
I used this large star tip to pipe extra frosting around the perimeter of the cake. Cream cheese frosting can be difficult to pipe because it doesn’t always hold its shape; if you have trouble piping it, pop the frosting in the fridge to stiffen up a bit.
Sweet potato cake is absolutely the best of what fall has to offer: cozy flavors, warming spices, sweet maple. . .and I’m totally making another one this weekend—and probably all weekends in the foreseeable future. But hey, the vegetables make it a health food right? 😉
More cakes for fall (in case you’re hungry)
Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Maple Cupcakes
Pumpkin Pie Cake
Black Velvet Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Layer Cake
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer Cake
Did you make this sweet potato cake? Hooray! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below. And post a pic on Instagram too! Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see your creations!
This sweet potato cake with maple cream cheese frosting is fall on a plate!
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups mashed baked sweet potato from about 14 to 16 ounces potatoes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple flavor or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1 cup chopped walnuts for garnish if desired
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and spray the parchment with cooking spray. Lightly dust the pans with flour and set pans aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set to low until well mixed.
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low until combined, then turn mixer to medium and beat 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. Batter will be very thick.
- Divide batter between the prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake 34 to 38 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake layers comes out clean. Cool in pans set on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully invert onto the rack to cool completely.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Add the maple flavor, salt, 4 cups powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Beat on low to combine, then turn mixer to medium and beat until frosting is very smooth. Add additional milk or powdered sugar if necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency.
- Trim your cake layers if they have domed. Set one cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle and top with about 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the second cake layer and frost with remaining frosting. If desired, press chopped walnuts into the sides of the cake. Serve.
- You can bake your sweet potatoes in either the microwave or the oven; it doesn't make a difference.
- Be sure your sweet potatoes are mashed well before you add them to the batter.
Cake layers adapted from Betty Crocker Sheet Pan Desserts
Robin says
I made this recipe into a 4 layer sweet potato cake and entered it in the Golden Sweet Potato Festival baking contest yesterday. I won 1st place in the cake division!! Would love to post the pic of it!
Kelsie says
That’s AWESOME, Robin! If you’re on Instagram you can post a pic there and tag @theitsybitsykitchen; I can see it and share it as long as your account isn’t private. Or email me a pic–theitsybitsykitchen@gmail.com and I can post it over on IG. I’d love to see it!
Kristin Jones says
What would you adjust the baking time to if you have 9 In pans and is that fine to use 9 in.
Kelsie says
Hi Kristin! Your cake layers will be quite a bit thinner than mine if you bake them in 9-inch pans, but as long as you’re OK with that you should be fine. I can’t tell you the exact baking time because I’ve only done this cake in 8-inch pans but if you start checking the cake after about 18 to 20 minutes you should be safe. Hope that helps and let me know how it goes!
grace says
maple is the perfect flavor for this cake’s frosting! delicious!
Kelsie says
Thank you so much!
mimi rippee says
This is just a stunning cake. So I probably can’t make it. But I love the ingredients. I’ve only had sweet potato pie, which is to die for, so I know this is good!
Kelsie says
Thank you so much, Mimi!
Marissa says
This looks divine, Kelsie! I’m totally going to switch it up this year for Thanksgiving and make this instead of sweet potato pie! Pinned to my TG board so I don’t forget!!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Marissa!
mrs sap says
Can I make this into a bundt cake?
Kelsie says
That should be fine! You’ll need to increase the baking time but I can’t give you guidance as to how much because I haven’t actually tried it in a bundt pan. I’d also halve the frosting recipe but that’s totally up to you. Let me know how it goes!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
Since this is made with sweet potatoes, I can have two pieces right?! It looks so moist! I am in love with the idea of maple cream cheese frosting too…wooee! I’ve got to try this one!
Kelsie says
Actually I think if you don’t have two pieces you’re doing yourself a disservice. Just think of all the Vitamin A you’d miss out on! 🙂 Thanks, Katherine!
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Oh my! I have to have this! Sweet potatoes, maple, and cream cheese….I’m swooning! A beautiful cake!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Kelly!
Carlee says
I’d go for a maple sweet potato cake brunch! YUM!
Kelsie says
I like the way you think!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen says
I have a confession to make. I do love sweet potato. That’s not the confession, though. The truth is that I’ve never tried a sweet potato pie. I am a bit sceptical about sweet potato pies (Although I’ve had sweet potato pancakes, and I did like them) – I prefer savory combos. But this cake looks so irresponsibly delicious, that I might give it a try…In a meanwhile, can you please send me a slice or two? 😉
Kelsie says
Try sweet potato pie! It’s so good! Thanks, Ben!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
What a delightful recipe! I LOVE sweet potatoes, and they work better than pumpkin in so many recipes that call for pumpkin (sweet potato pie is way better than pumpkin pie, for example; and I REALLY like pumpkin pie!). Anyway, this looks wonderful — thanks.
Kelsie says
Thank you, John!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Such a gorgeous cake, as usual, Kelsie! And so perfect for the Thanksgiving dessert table! Your cake decorating is always on point!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Mary Ann!
Laura says
Kelsie – what a brilliant cake! I’m so into this, I can’t wait to make it! Easy and so delicious! I love all of the fall spices and that maple frosting – to die for! I will be making this for sure! Thank you!
Kelsie says
Awww thanks, Laura! Hope you have a great week!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I’m absolutely obsessed with all things sweet potatoes (in fact, I have some roasting in the oven as I type this), so you KNOW I’m all over this cake like white on rice!!! I love all the spices you uses, that cream cheese frosting and the touch of maple! This is fall perfection, Kelsie!! Cheers!
Kelsie says
Sweet potatoes RULE! Thank you, Chey!
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats says
This cake is full of Fall flavors! That sweet potato and maple…..mmmm. And gorgeous pictures! Love the step by step pictures too!!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Kelly!
annie@ciaochowbambina says
One mixing bowl? That frosting!! I can not wait to make this for the holidays!!! Can not wait!! Shared!
Kelsie says
Thank you, Annie!
Kim Lange says
This sweet potato cake looks so moist and gorgeous! Cream cheese frosting goes hand in hand and it looks so heavenly Kelsie! Perfect for Thanksgiving and all Fall festivities! YUM!! Pinning!!
Kelsie says
Thank you so much, Kim!
Milena says
This reminds me of a dessert I had in Vietnam a few years ago. They use all kinds of sweet potato varieties to make sweets and what I had was an “American style” sweet potato dessert, lol. The chef at my hotel must have been very progressive:) It was delicious, but I think your cake absolutely beats it:) Pinned!
Kelsie says
Haha! Thanks, Milena!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
I cooked way too many sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, and as I was mashing them I was thinking how much their texture resembled pumpkin and that they would work well in baking! This cake looks awesome Kelsie! And thanks for the inspiration! I’m definitely going to try baking with sweet potatoes.
Kelsie says
I can’t wait to see what you bake them into! Thanks, Leanne!
David @ Spiced says
Interesting! How have I never had a sweet potato cake!? Sweet potato pie was a classic as we were growing up, but I’ve never even thought about using it in cake form. I need to try this…and ASAP. And then pairing it with a maple frosting and chopped walnuts? Oh yeah, this is my kind of heaven! I agree with you that this would be a fun twist on carrot cake for Easter, too. Sounds delicious!
Kelsie says
OMG you have to try sweet potato cake! Thanks, David!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Well, well, well! What a beauty, Kelsie!! And sweet potato? Who would have thunk it, lol. Seriously, though, I’ve never had sweet potato cake, but LOVE sweet potatoes and the pairing with maple totally makes sense. And, guess what? I legit have everything to make this right now!! Can’t wait! Hope you have a fabulous week ahead, my friend 🙂
Kelsie says
Thank you, Dawn! You have a great week, too!