Last updated: September 29, 2026
This sweet potato cake gives you a moist, warmly spiced crumb and a tangy frosting in about an hour of hands on time. You will find the full recipe card just below the tips and background, so you can start baking right away.
Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Cake
You get all the cozy flavor of a pumpkin spice dessert here, but the mashed sweet potato keeps the crumb even more tender.
The natural sugars in the sweet potato mean you can use a little less added sugar than a typical layer cake.
This sweet potato cake also keeps beautifully for days, which makes it a smart choice for a holiday table where you want dessert ready ahead of time.
You can bake it as a single layer, a double layer, or even as cupcakes, and the timing notes below cover all three.
What You Need For This Sweet Potato Cake
The base of the batter is roasted or boiled sweet potato, mashed smooth with no lumps left behind.
You will also want light brown sugar for a deeper caramel note than white sugar alone, plus a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil to keep the crumb moist for days rather than drying out the way a butter cake can.
Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves build the warm spice profile, and buttermilk adds tang while keeping the cake tender.
For the frosting, you want full fat cream cheese and butter, both softened well before you start, since cold cream cheese leaves lumps no amount of mixing will smooth out.
Choosing and Cooking Your Sweet Potatoes
Look for sweet potatoes that feel firm with smooth, unbruised skin, since soft spots usually mean the inside has started to turn fibrous.
Roasting whole sweet potatoes at 400°F until a knife slides in easily, usually 45 to 60 minutes depending on size, gives you a deeper flavor than boiling because the sugars caramelize slightly in the skin.
Boiling peeled, cubed sweet potato works too and is faster, but drain it well and let the steam escape for a few minutes before mashing so you don’t add extra water to the batter.
Either way, you want the mash completely smooth and cooled to room temperature before it goes into the batter, since warm sweet potato can start melting the butter or oil too early and change the final texture.
How to Make This Sweet Potato Cake
Start by whisking together your dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices, in one bowl so they distribute evenly through the batter.
In a separate large bowl, whisk the oil and brown sugar together until the mixture looks glossy, then whisk in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla.
Fold in the mashed sweet potato until the mixture is uniform in color with no streaks left.
Add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, and stir just until you no longer see flour, since overmixing at this stage is what makes a cake tough instead of tender.
Divide the batter evenly between two greased and parchment lined 9 inch round cake pans, or pour into a 9×13 pan if you prefer a single layer sheet cake.
Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, which usually takes 28 to 32 minutes for round layers or 35 to 40 minutes for a 9×13 pan.
Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before you frost, since warm cake will melt the frosting right off.
Making the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together first, on their own, until completely smooth with no visible lumps.
Add the powdered sugar gradually, on low speed, so it doesn’t cloud your kitchen, then mix in the vanilla and a small pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
If the frosting looks too soft to hold its shape, chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before you spread or pipe it onto the cooled cake.
Variations and Substitutions
You can swap the cream cheese frosting for a simple brown butter glaze if you want a lighter finish that still complements the spice.
Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts folded into the batter, or pressed onto the frosted sides, add a nice crunch against the soft crumb.
For a dairy free version, swap the buttermilk for a plant based milk mixed with a spoon of lemon juice, and use a dairy free cream cheese alternative for the frosting.
If you want mini versions for a party, this batter makes about 24 standard cupcakes baked at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
Store the frosted sweet potato cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, since the cream cheese frosting needs to stay cold.
Let slices sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving so the crumb softens back up and the flavors come through.
You can bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead, wrap them tightly in plastic once fully cooled, and keep them at room temperature until you are ready to frost.
The unfrosted layers also freeze well for up to 3 months when wrapped tightly in plastic and foil, so thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before frosting.
The Story Behind Sweet Potato Cake
Sweet potato desserts have deep roots in Southern American baking, where sweet potato pie and sweet potato cake have long stood alongside pumpkin as the season’s signature flavors.
Home bakers turned to sweet potato because it was abundant, affordable, and added natural moisture and sweetness to a cake long before canned pumpkin puree became a pantry staple.
That tradition carries through in this recipe, which leans on real mashed sweet potato rather than a puree substitute for the most tender crumb possible.
Ready to bring that tradition into your own kitchen? The full recipe card below has every ingredient amount and step laid out so you can follow along exactly.
Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
A moist, warmly spiced sweet potato cake layered with tangy cream cheese frosting, made with real mashed sweet potato for the most tender crumb.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato, cooled
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, whisk the vegetable oil and brown sugar together until glossy.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Fold in the mashed sweet potato until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, stirring just until no flour streaks remain.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth with no lumps.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar on low speed, then mix in the vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- Chill the frosting for 15 minutes if it seems too soft to spread.
- Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate and spread a layer of frosting on top.
- Place the second layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
Notes
Store frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Unfrosted layers can be made 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 480Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 320mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 1gSugar: 46gProtein: 5g
Sweet Potato Cake Questions
Can I use canned sweet potato puree instead of fresh?
Yes, canned sweet potato puree works as a substitute, and you can use it in the same amount called for in the recipe.
Just check the label to make sure it’s plain puree with no added sugar or spices already mixed in.
Why did my sweet potato cake turn out dense?
A dense sweet potato cake usually means the batter was overmixed once the flour went in, or the sweet potato mash still had extra moisture in it.
Mix just until the flour disappears, and make sure your mashed sweet potato has cooled and drained well before you add it.
Can I make this sweet potato cake into a bundt cake?
Yes, this batter works well in a well greased 10 cup bundt pan, and you’ll want to bake it for about 50 to 55 minutes, checking with a toothpick near the center.
Since a bundt shows its shape, a simple glaze usually works better here than a thick layer of cream cheese frosting.
How far ahead can I bake this cake for a holiday?
You can bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead of time and frost the cake the morning you plan to serve it for the freshest result.
The fully frosted cake also holds well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if you need more lead time.
Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes before cooking them?
You can roast sweet potatoes whole with the skin on and simply scoop out the flesh once they’re cool enough to handle, which is the easiest route.
If you’re boiling them instead, peel and cube them first so they cook through evenly and are easy to drain.
Can I substitute the buttermilk in this recipe?
Yes, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, stir one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes before using.
This gives you the same tang and tenderizing effect that buttermilk brings to the batter.
Why This Recipe Works
This sweet potato cake stays moist because it relies on oil rather than butter as its primary fat, and oil stays liquid at room temperature while butter solidifies, which is what keeps oil based cakes soft for days after baking.
The mashed sweet potato adds both moisture and natural sugar, letting the recipe use a bit less added sugar while still tasting fully sweet, and its starch content also contributes to a tender, close crumb.
Alternating the dry ingredients with the buttermilk keeps the gluten from developing too much, since buttermilk’s acidity gently tenderizes the batter and its tang balances the warm spices.
Chilling the cream cheese frosting briefly before frosting, if needed, keeps the layers from sliding once stacked, giving you a stable, neatly frosted sweet potato cake every time.
Bake This Sweet Potato Cake Today
Now that you know exactly how this sweet potato cake comes together, gather your sweet potatoes and give it a try this week.
Save the recipe card above so you have every measurement on hand the next time a craving for sweet potato cake hits.
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