NEWS! I have just posted my , go check out that version too!
This Vegan Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake really takes the cake.
Looking for a healthy cake that’s full of dense, chocolate flavor? This vegan chocolate cake is fresh and moist, and the cake and frosting are both made with sweet potatoes. Oh yes!
Yes, a long recipe name. Worth every syllable, because this healthy chocolate cake is a PPF sensation.
And, do we really need another chocolate cake recipe?
What makes this Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake special?
You could say this one is special because it’s vegan, whole-grain, oil-free.
Or, that it’s special because it has nutrient-dense sweet potatoes in both the frosting and cake.
But, I think it’s special in that the whole is far more than the sum of its parts.
And, it’s special because of how readers are embracing it, and celebrating special family times with this recipe!
I was pretty fond of this recipe when I created it. My family was too. But, I truly didn’t know how all of you would feel about it.
It’s not a classic chocolate cake with a hefty dose of sugar and fat.
So, I wondered how well a ‘chocolate sweet potato cake’ would be accepted!
I had a fair idea through recipe testing, when one of my (very) oil-free-skeptical friends tried it for the first time.
He didn’t know it was oil-free, and said he was shocked because it was one of the best chocolate cakes he had tasted!
Then, other reports came in from testers – and now from many of you.
Our facebook group has been posting pic after pic of this cake, and it’s become a bit of a sensation in the group!
That’s it, I couldn’t resist any longer.
This Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake recipe is now yours, all yours.
Dig in, guys! x Dreena
This recipe is reprinted from Plant-Powered Families. Thanks for your continued support and reviews.
P.S. I use my Blendtec with the standard jar or WildSide jar for this sauce – if you want to shop, use Blendtec Coupon Code: YAY-BLENDTEC at checkout for 20% off.
Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sweets Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 cup peeled cooked, and cooled orange sweet potato (see note)
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water divided
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole-grain spelt flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup mini or regular nondairy chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp scant sea salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tsp scant baking soda
Frosting
- 1 cup loosely packed peeled cooked, and cooled sweet potato (see note)
- 2/3 – 3/4 cup coconut sugar or other unrefined sugar see note
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup scant raw cashew butter or almond butter
- 1/4 tsp rounded sea salt
- 2-5 tbsp nondairy milk see tip
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8” x 8” brownie/cake pan or a 9” round cake pan with coconut or other oil, and fit the bottom of the pan with a small piece of parchment paper. In a blender (or using a handheld blender and a deep cup or vessel), puree the sweet potato, 1/2 cup of the water, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut sugar, chocolate chips, and sea salt, then sift in the cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry (be sure to scrape out all the blended ingredients with a spatula, and use the remaining 1 tablespoon of water to rinse the blender jar and get out any remaining puree). Mix until just well incorporated. Transfer to the prepared pan, bake for 21–23 minutes, remove, and let cool on a cooling rack.
Frosting:
- Place the sweet potato, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, cashew butter, sea salt, 1–2 tablespoons of the milk, and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor and puree until very smooth. It’s best to use a blender or processor (versus a stand mixer) if using orange sweet potato, to fully smooth out the potato. Taste, and add more sweetener if desired, and also another 2–3 tablespoons of milk if needed to thin to preferred consistency (you may need more milk using yellow sweet potato as they aren’t quite as moist as the orange). Puree until smooth, scraping down the blender/processor bowl as needed. Puree until as smooth as possible. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use on the Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake. Or, get a spoon and dig in!
Notes
- Cake Note:
- Frosting Notes:
This post was originally published in November 2015 and updated on January 24, 2022.
Ana says
So, this was indeed delicious. It was so unexpected!
Dreena Burton says
Thank you Ana!
Lauralee says
I made this for a potluck and it was a hit! We thoroughly enjoyed the frosting and the cake. Next time, I will definitely be doubling the recipe!
Dreena Burton says
Just wonderful, thanks Lauralee!
Katie says
Dreena, you’re a genius! Thank you for this totally dreamy cake (now the only cake I make for birthdays). I’ve done baked, microwaved and canned sweet potato, organic canned sugar, Costco chocolate chips (accidentally vegan) and something called artisan flour (which may just be AP with a marketing team.) It’s always turned out rich and perfect! Thank you so much!
Janice ann Ferraro says
I am going to be baking this cake this weekend for my granddaughters birthdays. I am just not clear on the sweet potato measurement. You mention in reply that you bake yours – which i intend to do, but do you still use 3/4 cup in the cake? The texture from a baked sweet potato is not the same as a boiled one? You also, mentioned in a reply not to mash them before measuring. This is confusing so I am hopeful you may see this and reply. Thank you
Dreena Burton says
Hi Janice, I bake sweet spuds until very soft, and orange sweet potatoes when baked really soft are similar to a mash. So I simply spoon or piece off the sweet potato to measure. Does that help?
Amelia says
I made this substituting butternut squash for the sweet potato in the cake. It was more like a soft chocolate brownie–almost like spoon bread so, not very cake like but SO GOOD! Instead of frosting, I ate it with peanut butter banana nice cream and it was quite a treat! I will be making it with sweet potato in the future if I want a cake and butternut squash if I want it to be like a yummy chocolate brownie cloud. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Barbara Barnett says
Dreena, my daughter is a strict vegan and very picky. For her surprise 50th birthday, her husband had a huge cake made and I made this vegan cake to surprise her and she absolutely loved it! I was so nervous worrying about the outcome and rather she’d like it but it was perfect! Today, I’m making it for our vegan potluck group and this is my 3rd time making it. I’ve used oat flour and wheat flour in the past and they have all worked out.
Dreena Burton says
Oh, thanks so much for the glowing review, Barbara! And, I’m stoked it pleased even your picky vegan daughter, lol. That’s amazing. Thank you so much for sharing this cheer with me, and for others to read as well. 🙂
Célia Mardjoeki says
Thank you so much for that exquisite recipe! I doubled it and I don’t regret it!!
Dreena Burton says
So happy to hear that, thank you Célia
Alisa R Bento says
This cake is my go-to for many holidays and events. It is my absolute favorite and I always get tons of compliments from everyone…even those who have no idea it is wfpb. I am wanting to do cupcakes this time though and am wondering what the cook time would be.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Alisa, what a lovely comment to read – thank you! I usually bake cupcakes between 14-17 minutes, depending on how much you fill them.
Dreena Burton says
and I’ll add I’d watch at the lower end of time (15 mins) checking your oven to see if they look dry/set. Try not to overbake they can dry more quickly as cupcakes.
Alisa says
Thank you! Very helpful.
Shauna Fenton says
Excellent recipe! All of my non vegan friends even loved it! I substituted peanut butter in the icing because I was out of the others – but it was a hit – thank you!
Dreena Burton says
Just wonderful to read, thank you Shauna!
Peg says
Would be wonderful if it was gluten free.
Dreena Burton says
try it with all-purpose GF flour
Bailey says
Just wanted to let you know, I subbed in cassava flour 1:1 and it worked beautifully!
Naysha says
Gorgeous recipe, so yum. Thank you
LouAnn Mallon says
Could date paste be subbed for the maple syrup in the cake??
Dreena Burton says
Hi LouAnn, I haven’t tested it – you can try it, but I can’t say for sure how it will turn out.
Kindra says
I doubled the recipe and made without chocolate chips bc I need more lowered fat for my wfpb and subbed one of the recipes with date paste. Worked perfectly! And made it with einkorn! It was a hit!!! No one could tell it was healthy lol. Best cake ever.
Joe says
Yes, I’ve tried this with date paste and it’s just as good! I also subbed a chopped up 2 oz 100% baking bar for the chocolate chips so needed more sugar as well, I used a half cup of date paste in total!
Sarah says
I love orange vegetables and chocolate! These are sooo good! I used butternut squash and soymilk instead of water and then baked as mini muffins (and accidentally commented about it on the jam jam muffin page) for 18 mins. They are delicious! I see why so may love this cake. Definitely a keeper 🙂
Lauren Vaught says
Hi Dreena,
I’ve commented here before about this luscious cake! It’s always my go-to when I want to impress.
Question: can I use whole wheat pastry flour instead of the spelt??
Thanks for all the yummy and healthy recipes,
Lauren
lauren@ediblemusings.com
Dreena Burton says
So happy you love the recipe, Lauren. Thanks for sharing your feedback and 5-star rating.
Yes, you can use w/w pastry in place. I use less when subbing for spelt, so here measure the 1 cup and then remove about 1 tbsp (rounded) of the w/w pastry. Hope that helps!
Aquila Johnson says
Hi!
Is it possible to substitute the balsamic vinegar for apple Cider vinegar?
Dreena Burton says
for sure!
Dena says
Do you know if it’s possible to sub potatoes or squash or carrots in this recipe? We can’t always get sweet potatoes and when we can they’re a bit expensive.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Dena, I wouldn’t sub carrots or potatoes, carrots too strong-tasting and potatoes aren’t sweet enough. You could sub orange squash – BUT, it’s not as sweet as sweet potatoes, and not as moist (usually), so you’ll need to sweeten more and may need to adjust the moisture with extra milk, etc.
s says
If using canned and thus pre-pureed sweet potato (ingredient just listed as “sweet potato”, will adding the water still be necessary? Thanks 🙂
Dreena Burton says
Hi, yes, you will still need the water – when I bake sweet spuds they are almost like a pureed consistency.
Deanna says
Oh my gosh, we made this for a birthday party today and it was PHENOMENAL!!! This would definitely fool any omnivores! We used oat flour because 3 of my kids have celiac disease), and we modified the frosting by adding more PB, no cocoa, and a bit less sweet potato, because my daughter request PB frosting instead of chocolate. It was so creamy and delicious!
Dreena says
Amazing! Thank you Deanna, I’m delighted it was a hit for you! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Karen Ricketts says
This cake is so delicious; perfectly moist, just the right amount of sweetener, amazing frosting, and oil and dairy free! Love every bite.
(I made half the frosting and it generously covered my cake.)
Lynne says
Hi dreena- I am hoping to make this as my son’s bday cake. Do I measure the sugar after I pre blended it to make it powdery? Or do I measure it before that?
Dreena Burton says
Hi Karen, I’m sorry I don’t understand what you mean by making it powdery?
Heath says
She means – do you grind the coconut sugar into powder and ‘then’ measure it? Also, you can use a coffee bean grinder to create coconut sugar powder.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Heather, sorry, I’m unclear what you are referring to – I don’t grind the coconut sugar. It’s added with the other ingredients and pureed for the frosting. Is that what you are asking?
Suzanne says
In your recipe notes, you suggest powderizing the coconut sugar before mixing it with the dry ingredients. What I do instead, is incorporate sugar as a wet ingredient in the blender. Sugar in the baking world is considered wet, since it dissolves into liquids so readily.
Hazel Buxton says
I love this cake truly amazing, I heat it in the microwave and enjoy with some plant based cream & Strawberries.
Dreena says
Hi Hazel, thank you – and great idea about warming the cake!
Deanna says
This is my all time favorite chocolate cake recipe. I always make a double batch and make cupcakes. I freeze the in frosted cupcakes and take out a few when I need some. I rarely frost them because I don’t feel they need it. I also add two TBSP of ground flax seed to the recipe. I ALWAYS have some of these cupcakes in my freezer. They are SCRUMPTIOUS!!!
Dreena says
Hi Deanna, well thank you for such a lovely note, I’m thrilled you’re loving the recipe so much!
Crystal says
This was the first sweet thing I made after going WFPB. I had been avoiding sugar to prevent cravings, but it was my husband’s birthday. I had read how fabulous this cake is, and it didn’t disappoint. We all loved it, including my omni son and his family.
Autumn says
I am about to celebrate my birthday and my one year anniversary of becoming a vegan! This cake is the best birthday cake I’ve ever had in my 32 years of life. It blew away the non-vegans who tried it as well. Simply amazing. I only could find Garnet sweet potatoes in store and it turned out wonderful.
Dreena says
Hi Autumn, just so happy to read your feedback, it’s so rewarding – thanks for taking the time to leave a note and rating!
Madeline says
This cake is the real deal! Nothing less than astounding! Thank you for making my oil-free birthday so wonderful, Dreena.
We had a lot more frosting than we needed — I think the frosting recipe would make enough to frost a double layer cake. Also, since I am trying to minimize Omega 6 in my diet, we used macadamia nut butter instead of almond or cashew butter. The macadamia flawor was discernable, but nonetheless delicious.
Finally, the frosting was hard to all clean out of the blender, so instead of wasting that yumminess I put a cup of hot soymilk in, and blended to make hot chocolate! It was amazing!
Dreena says
Thank you for the great rating and feedback, Madeline. I love macadamia butter, and imagine it’s delicious in the frosting – thanks for that idea! I hope you enjoy the yellow sweet potato cake in the new book as well. Cheers!
Jess says
Do you mash the potatoes before measuring the amount needed?
Dreena says
Hi Jess, no, I just break off in smaller pieces to measure.
Hannah says
I made this with a gluten free flour blend, which wasn’t meant to be. It tastes great just the texture is off. Maybe I’ll try almond flour next time ? However the frosting is AMAZING!!! I will definitely be keeping this recipe.
Dreena says
Hi Hannah, sorry the GF blend didn’t work too well. I know they vary by brand. I’ve heard good things about the King Arthur blend, but haven’t used it myself. I think using some almond flour in part would be great – but not in full. Maybe use 1/3 – 1/2 of almond flour. Glad you loved the frosting, I do too – so much!
Naomi says
I make mine with Bob’s Red Mill GF flour and it always comes out delicious. Not all GF flours are created equal.
Megan says
Naomi, do you use the Bob’s GF “all purpose” flour or the GF “baking flour”?
Wynter says
This cake is so delicious! I didn’t frost it because I only had one sweet potato to work with, but so deliciously moist and chocolatey and fudgy! Will definitely make it again!
Hazel says
This is a delicious cake, however I had to bake mine a lot longer than 23 minutes and its was still more like a chocolate fudge cake truly delicious, is this how it’s supposed to be and how long did you all bake yours for.
Thanks Hazel
Definitely making again best chocolate I have ever tasted
Eilene says
Same here! I guess she’s not responding to your question. I would use a little more flour next time. Mine sunk after cooling.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Eilene, I don’t see every comment – I don’t get notifications for all. So if I don’t respond, that’s why. I’m unsure why this may have happened with your cake. Did you change anything in the recipe? Type of sweetener? Type of flour? What liquid did you use, etc? Any changes can affect the final result. Sometimes it’s the oven, there are many variables with baking, it’s trickier than making a soup or casserole, etc.
Yulca says
I used 3 huge, super soft medjool dates instead of the coconut sugar & simply pureed them with the wet ingredients. The batter then needed a dash more water, but the final result is SO GOOD (based on the nibble I just stole from the cooling rack). Hubby is usually not a fan of oil-free baking (loved your lemon cranberry muffins, though), but I see this becoming our family’s standard chocolate cake for many future birthdays, kids’ events, etc. Thank you!
P.S. Can’t wait for your second book, already pre-ordered. We use PPF all the time & have already gifted it to others, too. You’re so good at what you do!!
Dreena says
Hi Yulca, thank you so much for the great rating and feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake – and your hubby too! And, I appreciate your kind words. I hope you enjoy the new book just as much… or more!
Natalie says
How would this work as cupcake? Thanks so much!
Dreena says
Hi Natalie, works great! Bake about 14-16 mins for cupcakes filled just over halfway
Helen says
I just baked this recipe as cupcakes. Makes 8 large cupcakes. They came out so tender and delicious! I used whole wheat pastry flour in lieu of the spelt flour and brown sugar in plaee of the coconut sugar. I froze the cupcakes and hope the frosting can be frozen as I want to frost them in five days time when I bring the cupcakes out of the freezer. The frosting is equally delicious and wito used brown sugar. Will make this recipe again…it is a great recipe! Wondering if medjool dates might be used instead of the sugar. I am glad this recipe is oil/shortening/butter-free! Nevertheless, the cupcakes are very tender, and melt in your mouth!
.
Dreena says
Delighted you loved the recipe, thanks for the feedback, Helen. If you want to swap dates, I’d opt for date sugar as it’s similar consistency (not exactly the same, but closer than dates). Date sugar is available in most stores, here it is on amazon: https://amzn.to/3vj4Rj0 Hope that helps, very happy you loved the cupcakes!
Anu says
Is it possible to substitute applesauce for the sugar/maple syrup?
Dreena says
Hi Anu, I wouldn’t since there is already a puree in the cake. When subbing more for sweetener, it starts to lose flavor and isn’t quite like cake anymore. Also, personally I don’t find applesauce combines well in chocolate baked goods. I like it in vanilla or spiced (cinnamon, nutmeg) muffins or quick breads, but find the applesauce/chocolate combo isn’t the best.
Laura says
Interested in making this but my son is allergic to cashews so the doctor recommended he stay away from all tree nuts. Is there something we can use instead for frosting. Peanut butter maybe?
Dreena says
Hi Laura, yes, for sure. You can use coconut butter. See this video to see how it works: https://fb.watch/1wBHDM-auB/ Using coconut butter you will definitely need extra milk because it is so dense and dry, try about another 3-4 tbsp.
Sabina says
I only had 1/2 of sweet potato so I added 1 mashed banana. I also used brown sugar instead of maple syrup because I didn’t have any and walnuts instead of hemp seeds. They have turned out just perfect in size and sweetness.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Sabina says
Sorry, I wanted to post my comment under the sweet potato muffins. I made a mistake.
Susu Dugas says
Has anyone experimented with this recipe at high altitude? I live in Denver (5280 feet) and am going to the Rocky Mountains (9200 feet)where i hope to make the cake for our friend’s 60th birthday. Should i add more liquid (maple syrup?) and flour? The more specific suggestions, the better!
Thanks!
Celine says
Hi! This looks great! We have a tree nut allergy and I was wondering how I can make the icing without nut butter. Thank you!
Anni says
Hi Celine, I successfully sub sunflower seeds butter for nut buttwr
Tracy says
A total keeper. This recipe was just fantastic and a real hit. Thank you, Dreena!
Dreena says
just fabulous to read, thanks Tracy
Scott D Primack says
Hello. Loved your cake. Do you have the nutritional facts for either the whole, or piece of the cake? Thx!
Emma says
Hi Dreena
I’m going to make this recipe for my daughters birthday this weekend. It looks great. I wondered what f you had any ideas for a lighter coloured frosting please? I need to dye it green to make a garden design! I’d love to make an oil free frosting so any ideas would be amazing. Thanks. Emma x
Dreena says
Hi Emma, I have a ‘mallowy’ frosting on my site (just search that in the search bar, it’s with a pumpkin cake in a post). My new book WILL have a yellow sweet potato cake – like this one but ALL light/vanilla. Hang tight!
Leena menon says
Looks awesome. Can I substitute spelt flour with coconut flour since I have that at home.
Dreena says
Hi Leena, sorry no don’t substitute coconut. It has vastly different properties and texture and doesn’t sub well for flours in general.
Jill says
I am making this for the first time right now for my sons 6th birthday – I’m so excited! For this time, I’m going to follow the directions to a T, but for future laziness, can I use canned sweet potato purée?
Thank you!
Jill
Jacqueline Anne van Nostrand says
What is the best substitute for spelt flour? Can I use Farro? I live in Mexico and it’s hard to find spelt flour here. Thanks!
Dreena says
Hi Jacqueline, that’s interesting, as I’ve never seen farro flour! I understand there are different varieties of farro, some related to spelt and others more to wheat. So, I’d say it should be fine, but you might need to measure just a little scant. Hope that helps and it works well!
David Keeling says
This cake looks spectacular, but I have a couple of questions. When you say cooked sweet potato what do you mean? Baked, boiled, cooked some other way? But most importantly do you have this recipe using weights rather than cups? Cups aren’t exactly accurate are they. I don’t trust them.
Dreena says
Hi David, I use sweet potato cooked by baking whole with skins on. I prefer the flavor when baked rather than steamed or boiled but those are also options. I detail this in my plant-powered families cookbook, here: http://bit.ly/PPFcookbook
I don’t cook/bake by weight though I know it’s very precise. Most home cooks prefer measures. This recipe has been made by hundreds maybe thousands of people so it’s quite reliable. Hope that helps.
Kallie says
I would love weight measurements too… at least of the sweet potato/kumara. In NZ I think our cup sizes are different to yours. Also, I steam my kumara – which means I’m not sure how much really is a cup. It cound depend on how big or small my pieces are? Or do I squash it down so that there are no gaps – or even puree it first and then measure out? Weight measurements just cuts out so many of my awkward questions! Especially since baking is requires more exact amounts. Would it be a lot of trouble to add a weight measurement in?
I have made this a few times, and I just can’t get a consistent result. Itssuper yummy, but I’m not sure I’m getting the right texture.
David Keeling says
So to get an accurate measurement do you mash the sweet potato then measure it in the cup? Sorry, I have no idea when it comes to cup measurements. I’m English, we weigh everything here.
What do you mean by divided water?
I don’t have spelt flour, could I use whole grain wheat flour instead?
You use the term scant several times. Scant sea salt? Scant not butter? What do you mean by scant?
Laura says
Scant means skinny – like only just up to a measurement or even slightly less than a full measurement. I am with you both on the accuracy of weighing ingredients. Not that this recipe is the worst offender, but with other food blogs I’ve seen things like I cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp flour. You have to faff around more with cups and then wash a load of measuring cups at the end. There are conversions you can find online for pretty much every ingredient but you can always measure and weigh things out yourself so next time is easier.
Sahari says
You didn’t answer his other questions (about divided water and about spelt flour). I happen to have those question too… 🙂
Sara says
Divided means split in two…don’t use the amount all at once but read the instructions to see what portion to use when.
Another way of thinking of scant is”a little bit less than”
Can’t help you with the flour question…
JoAnne Lowe says
HI David, If you read step 1 for the cake, you’ll find the cake uses 1/2 cup and then another T later in step one. Yes, agreed that “divided” is confusing (in all recipes!). Scant is just under a full measure. Forgive us here in the US, as we’ll never catch on to metrics. Weighing does make more sense!
Diane says
I’m making this cake for the second time today, for Mother’s Day tomorrow. First time it turned out delicious, although it didn’t rise much. I had to convert the US measurements to Australian ones and I really appreciate recipes where weights are also given, it’s an annoyance having to do it every time US measurements are used. Perhaps that is why the person is asking for weights? Other countries also have different standard measurements, e.g.
A US cup measurement is 240 ml, but Australia, NZ & Canada is 250, Japan is 200, UK is 280.
US tablespoon is 15ml, Australia is 20ml, Canada is 14ml.
Heather says
Vinegar counteracts my cancer meds. Is there anything I can use instead?
Dreena says
Heather, if you can use lemon juice it should work, just the taste of lemon and chocolate not a usual pairing.
Zarina says
Hi Dreena,
I am a huge fan of chocolate cakes but I am allergic to gluten and nuts. What would be the best substitute for flour? I can use gluten free all purpose flour and oat flour. Will any of those be a good alternate?
Thanks.
Judy Shepherd says
Hi, I am obviously not Dreena, but have some experience with baking. My kitchen is my laboratory where many experiments are performed.
My experience with gluten-free flours has been that they tend to be gritty. Hopefully you can find one that isn’t and if the label says it can be used in place of gluten flours it should work.
I have made a cake with oat flour that I ground myself, and it was very dense. I would suggest trying a very fine grind and going light on the measure (don’t pack into measuring cup but spoon in and level off) to get a cake batter consistency.
Lydia says
Hi Dreena,
Sounds fabulous!
I was wondering, can I make the frosting a week in advance? And can I put the cake (with or without frosting) in the freezer?
We are but a two people household, my husband and I. And no close friends or relatives nearby to drop a piece off. So we’d have to eat the whole cake ourselves. Absolutely not a bad thing, because I suspect it’ll be delicious, but I don’t wish for us to devour an entire cake in just one weekend lol.
Looking forward to your response; thanks in advance!
Lydia
Gina says
Hi! I’m going to make this later in the week for my son’s second birthday.
I only have 100% whole wheat flour, King Arthur’s GF flour, or oat flour. Are any of those suitable substitutes?
Thanks!
Dee Jones says
Gina, I just used King Arthur’s GF in 3 of these cakes. They turned out great!
Roz says
Hi Dreena. Can’t wait to try this recipe!I don’t have coconut sugar. Do you think date sugar would work? Thanks!
Dreena says
Hi Roz, yes, should be okay. I do find date sugar has a bit of a different texture but overall should be fine!
Michelle says
One question: if I can’t find Spelt flour during this time, can I use whole wheat pastry flour? Or would adjustments need to be made in addition to this?
Dreena says
Hi Michelle, yes, you can. Use a touch less, about 1 tbsp. Should work fine!
Vicky Vitkay says
Really want to bake this but due to covid-19 there’s no flour in the supermarket! Would I be able to use part buckwheat flour part plain white flour?
Dreena says
Hi Vicky, I wouldn’t sub it straight without adding tweaks needed for gluten-free flours. Especially buckwheat has a more pronounced flavor. Unless you are substituting just a few tablespoons, I’d take a pass. Maybe you already made it – if so, let me know if it did turn out ok!
Sun says
Hello! This looks amazing! I was wondering if you have a suggestion for substituting something for the nut butter (my daughter is allergic). Thank you!
Dreena says
Hi Sun, for sure. You can substitute coconut butter. It is FAR more dense and dry, however, so you will need to add extra milk for blending, couple tablespoons or more as needed. Here is info on coconut butter:
Beverly says
There are so many great reviews, so I’m not sure you need another glowing one, but I’ll add mine anyway! My husband has been on a plant-based diet for around 6 months due to a 70% blocked widow-maker artery. All he asked for on his birthday was a chocolate cake. This one certainly held the most promise and the most positive reviews. We were so pleased with the results! This cake is wonderfully moist and delicious. What a great surprise and a great addition to my new plant-based recipes binder. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Dreena says
Oh Beverly, I welcome a glowing review of any recipe at any time! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to leave this warm note here. I’m so happy this cake worked for you and your husband. Wishing you both great health. 🙂
Tracy says
Dreena thank you so much for this recipe, I’ve been using it for several years for a layer cake or cupcakes.. I get rave reviews and asked for the recipe every time. This is a super moist cake that’s not too sweet and fools omnivores every time. I love the combination of raspberries and chocolate. When I use balsamic vinegar I choose a raspberry infused one. Then between layers I spread raspberry jam to about a 1/2 inch to the edge, use the chocolate frosting to cover and top with fresh raspberries. In the frosting I’ll add a 1/2 tsp of raspberry flavor. The combination is delectable!
Dreena says
Thank you Tracy. It’s a true pleasure knowing you are getting great use of the recipe. Your variation sounds so great – clever!
Kimberly Paquette says
Absolutely delicious!
Courtney says
This is by FAR….the absolute BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten! Out of this world deliciousness! I made this for my daughter’s birthday yesterday and am so glad I did! It is insanely delicious and I will always go to THIS recipe for “chocolate” cake, Thank you so much for such a delicious recipe! I’m so grateful and can’t wait to share it! P.S. your instructions were perfect!
Dreena says
that’s quite a compliment, thank you so much Courtney … and I just finished a vanilla version of this cake for my next cookbook 🙂
Laura says
Love your chocolate cake, and trying today with sweet squash as my friend cannot have night shades.
Looking forward to your vanilla version so we can have something healthier for our girlie tea parties.
Meagan says
When is your vanilla cake recipe going to make an appearance?!
Dreena says
🙂 I recently finalized the recipe for my new book – it’s also nut-free … and I might like it better!
Susan Smeltzer says
Hi Dreena! Sorry for the multiple comments. I re-made the cake again, and this time I baked it for a total of 17 additional minutes and it turned out great. 🙂
Dreena says
Glad it worked in the end, Susan. I left another note for you. Thanks for following up. 🙂
Bret says
I have now made this successfully about 6 times and each time it is better than before. I have never used frosting but instead spread top and between layers with a berry jam (raspberry and strawberry). Have also chopped dried sweet cherries and added to mix with less chocolate chips and this was a hit. Many thanks for such a fabulous and healthy gift from you that we can pass on to others who need to know the pleasures of plant-based eating.
Dreena says
Hi Bret, so happy you’re loving the recipe. The addition of the jam and dried cherries sounds phenomenal!
Susan Smeltzer says
Hi Dreena,
I’m not sure what went wrong for me – the only thing I did differently was use all purpose flour b.c. I couldn’t find spelt flour. I know my oven was hot enough and I left the cake in for the full 23 minutes, but when I turned it out, the top of the cake stuff to my palm and fingers. After I iced it and cut a piece, when I ate it, it turned into a ball of paste in my mouth, it wasn’t fluffy at all.
Should I have cooked it longer? I didn’t test it with a toothpick until after I ended up with a palmful of cake, and the toothpick wasn’t clean. You didn’t mention testing it with a toothpick for doneness, so I didn’t do that – probably would have left it in the oven for another 5-7 minutes at least. Or was it the AP flour? I’m disappointed, it was a lot of work. 🙁
Dreena says
Hi Susan, just seeing your comment. Sorry to hear that, I see your follow-up note, but the cake shouldn’t have needed that much longer to bake. Do you know if your oven is baking at the correct temperature? You can try using an oven thermometer to check it. The AP flour shouldn’t have made a difference, if anything would have made it tjhe batter a little more dense.
Lisa says
I’m with this reviewer. The cake was underdone in the centre. I’m air frying thirds at 350 for 10 minutes to try to fix it. What temperature should I be looking for on my thermometer? I used gf all purpose flour and less sugar than the recipe called for, but I wouldn’t think that would throw the recipe off that much.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Lisa, I’m just seeing your comment after seeing another today. I didn’t see it initially. If you used GF flour and less sugar, that’s why the cake sunk. Any time a recipe is altered, especially with baking, it affects the final product. This recipe has worked beautifully for all of my testers and hundreds of readers. So, yes, unfortunately those substitutions do throw off a recipe that much. And that’s why you have a 3-star cake, not because of the recipe itself.
Susan Smeltzer says
How do I know when to take the cake out of the oven? I made it today and left it in for 23 minutes, the oven was preheated, and I have an oven thermometer that confirmed it was 350 degrees.
I didn’t use a toothpick to check since this isn’t a “normal” cake, but now I’m wondering if I should have? When I turned the cake out of the pan, the top of the cake stuck to all my fingers and left a palm print on the surface. I haven’t iced it or cut it yet, but I’m worried it isn’t done. I put a toothpick in it after I turned it out, and it wasn’t clean, but I don’t know if a sweet potato batter would come out clean?
Micheline Steele says
Has anyone successfully frozen the frosting?
Dreena says
It should work just fine!
Jennifer Niefer says
Made this today just to use up mushy sweet potato in the fridge…..this recipe was wonderful. We just used regular A/P flour, and I don’t have coconut sugar so sub’ed brown sugar to the base and icing sugar in the frosting, and the cake turned out amazing. I was suspicious about the nut butter in the frosting, but it was perfect….amazing balance with the other flavours. The whole cake is super rich. Might add less cocoa next time to the frosting, and I would highly recommend almond extract in the frosting…a lovely addition. Thanks so much for this recipe…will definitely make again
Dreena says
So pleased you loved it, thanks for the comment and happy recipe feedback!
Julie says
I made this for the first time for a family gathering of 12 including 3 children in grades kindergarten, .4th and 7th. The cake was all gone and everyone raves about how good it tasted. No one guessed there was sweet potato in the cake or frosting. I did grind up the coconut sugar for both the cake and frosting. I used the extra frosting for topping on the ice cream which was a big hit. I served the cake with some great cut up strawberries and a few mint leaves. Thanks Dreena for a delicious recipe that is plant based and oil free! As always Dreena has another winning recipe. Sorry I didn’t get any pictures.
Julie
Dreena says
Hi Julie, thank you so much for the glowing feedback – much appreciated. Love the idea of pairing with ice cream too!
LouAnn says
Could date paste or date syrup be substituted for the sugar in this recipe?
Dreena says
Hi LouAnn, when subbing sweeteners you want to work with the same texture, so date sugar for coconut sugar. The taste and texture will differ some with substitutions. Hope that helps.
Judy Shepherd says
Every time I have made this recipe I get rave reviews. Today I accidentally added 1/4 cup extra sweet potato and it turned out extra moist. My family loved it. It is our favorite birthday cake, which I make for myself and at the request of family.
Dreena says
So happy to read that, thanks Judy!
Chris says
By far the best cake ever! Heavenly taste, and so delighted it sliced beautifully. I found the recipe
In your family cookbook even though just the two of us. Question due to busy Christmas time.
Could I make it ahead of time and freeze it?
Dreena says
Thanks Chris. Just seeing your question, sorry – but yes I have had readers freeze the cake with great results.
Gillian Bagshaw says
Just made this, it’s not risen much, is that right? Also can the cake and frosting be frozen? Looks and smells good.
Jen says
Can you use almond flour?
Dreena says
Hi Jen, when you sub with a nut flour like almond, it changes the texture quite a lot and you also need to change the moisture in the cake. You could sub in maybe up to 1/3 cup but not the whole amount.
Amy says
Can this cake be made in a bundt pan? If yes, do you just double the recipe? And cooking time adjustment suggestions?
Thank you!
Arelis says
Hello Dreena
Could you please provide an nut-option for the frosting? I have been looking forward to making this cake but 2 of my kids are allergic to nuts.
Thanks!
Dreena says
Hi Arelis, you can use coconut butter, however it is MUCH drier and quite dense, so you will need to add extra milk to blend.
JoJo says
You could use sunbutter
Chris says
I can’t find spelt flour. Could I use all purpose white?
This will be our Christmas dessert to surprise everyone.
After they eat it and lick their lips, I will tell them how healthy it is with
Those sweet potatoes!
Dreena says
You can, but you won’t need as much. A/P flour is denser, so measure the cup and remove about 1-2 tbsp. If you’re making it for Christmas, def double the batch!
Rella LaFear says
I knew when I first read this recipe it was going to be good…it was amazing! Will be making this over and ov er again.
Katherine Guas says
Hands down the best vegan chocolate cake ever! I e made it several times for vegans and non vegans and they all love it! I’m making it again today for my non vegan dads birthday! They ask for it! Easy to make, delicious and will definitely impress people!
Dreena says
Delighted to read that, thank you Katherine!
Arelis says
Hello
My son is allergic to nuts. Do you have any substitute for the nuts in the frosting? Or any other chocolate frosting recipe for this cake.
Thanks!!
JoJo says
Use sunbutter
Jessica says
From the comments this sounds, and looks, incredible! Would I be able to leave out the balsamic or substitute? I personally really don’t like the Flavor and have been able to taste it or apple cider vinegar in recipes where it’s undetectable to others
Dreena says
Jessica, it helps with a chemical reaction in the baking. You can sub apple cider if you want – tho I don’t think the flavor is noticeable. Enjoy!
Fleur says
Hi! What gluten free flour would you recommend to use in this recipe? Buckwheat flour? Thank you 🙂
Dreena says
Hi Fleur, I would use an all-purpose blend. I haven’t tested with it, but definitely don’t use one single GF flour – they don’t work well in isolation. Hope that helps.
Gleena says
Hi Dreena
Have you tried this out with a gluten free flour blend ? We are gluten and dairy free and more recently have adopted the whole foods plant based approach.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Bujji says
Just made it. Wow!! What an amazing recipe. Bookmarked it. Thank you Dreena for sharing.
Juan says
I just made this and wow….delicious! Thank you o much!
Dreena says
Super! Thanks Juan.
Mrs. Greenleaf says
Made a few days ago. It was fantastic, and I didn’t even frost it. Cut it into slices and froze them. They are great frozen or defrosted. I didn’t have spelt flour so I used unbleached white flour. Worked out fine. Used baked orange sweet potatoes and yeah I could taste them but I liked that. I will definitely get some spelt flour and bake this again when I need to have a cake on hand. I love that this is not a diet buster. It might not be wise to eat it every day, for those of us WFPBing it for weight loss, but it didn’t hurt progress, either.
Dx Maxx says
Made this for Easter weekend. It was AHHHHMAZING. VERY RICH AND CHOCOLATY! Definitely more like a torte (9” pan). This will be a keeper! I used date sugar and I also subbed natural peanut butter since my almond didn’t arrive in time. Love love love! Thank you! This was a big surprise to everyone as the sweet potato gave it a nice moist texture but you could t tell there
Was sweet potato in it. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Dreena says
Just wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it so much, thanks for sharing. 🙂
Susan says
Going to try this cake this weekend, for Easter.
What about leaving out the caoco for a “white” cake??
Anyone tried this?
JoAnn says
I don’t usually leave comments but I made your cake today and it was fantastic…however, I made it in a 9 inch round as suggested and it came out very thin and was not cake like at all. I subbed oat flour…everything else was the same. I would call it a cross between pudding and cake. I didn’t frost it, just used a little whipped creme. Will make again but not sure how others can make cupcakes, mine was too wet and I measured everything carefully.
Amy says
The recipe called for spelt flour. Oat flour is not at all the same. You can’t blame the recipe if you alter it so drastically.
Elaine says
I made this in a 9 inch pan as well and it came out thin, I used spelt flour so it wasn’t the flour.
Farina says
best chocolate cake ever. Seriously, it was amazing how delicious this recipe was. We couldn’t get over the frosting as it was just so so delicious. Just wondering if you ever made this into cupcakes and if so any tips on baking?
Katherine Guas says
I have made it as cup cakes and it worked just fine!
Rosie T says
We made this for my birthday, and i LOVED it! I am not a cake eater usually. But this actually felt nourishing to eat. We used only one quarter of the coconut sugar for the frosting (with a little stevia added), and we accidentally doubled the sweet potato in the frosting, and it still turned out to be amazing. Thank you! I will be checking out your other recipes.
Amalita says
I love this cake!!!! I was wondering if I could use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder. Thank you!
Dreena says
yes, absolutely Amalita – enjoy!
Amal BIGGERS says
Thank you, Dreena!
Michelle says
I decided to make this for my deceased daughters birthday. Literally THE BEST cake I’ve ever made in my life!!! Thank you so so so so much!
Dreena says
❣️thank you Michelle
Adriana says
LOVED the cake! Have been meaning to try it for some time & we just had some! My 2 boys are chocolate monsters & hubby even took seconds. Quick question: I need to make the cake for my son’s bday party on Friday. Can it be prepared in advance? What’s the best way to keep it? Refrigerate with the frosting or add frosting before serving? Any suggestions?
Siba Al-Adhami says
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I practice clean eating with both my little boys and finding good cake recipes for their birthdays is usually not so difficult but when it comes to baking for daycare it is as everything is an allergen!
I tripled this recipe to make 28 cupcakes. I cut down on the coconut sugar, swapped the nut butter for wow butter for the icing ( which I do not recommend at all it tastes like burnt peanuts) but the texture of the frosting was amazing! I can’t wait to try it as per the recipe!
The cupcakes were so moist and the kids devoured them some even went for seconds! (Ages 2-4). My only issue was the cupcakes stuck to the liners. I wanted to bake them straight in the pan but I couldn’t find my second cupcake pan and so opted for liners (don’t do it).
Dreena says
Most wonderful! So happy you loved the recipe, thanks for sharing all this with me and other readers. 🙂
Have you tried parchment liners? I use them all the time, and they will come off cleanly from muffins and cupcakes that don’t have oil. This is the brand I use, in the ‘kitchenware’ section here: http://bit.ly/DreenaBurton
Hope you enjoy the recipe many times over!
Jessica says
How long did you cook them as cupcakes vs the recommended time for standard cake? I’d love to make these for my son’s birthday coming up. Thanks!
Don says
Use parchment cup cake liners
Alicia says
What a great recipe! This cake is so good! I made it for my daughter’s birthday and it was a crowd-pleaser. Thank you, Dreena. It is a new favourite in our house.
Dreena says
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks Alicia!
Jenn says
I am SO excited to try this recipe, I came across your site after listening to your discussion on cooking without oil on PCRM’s The Exam Room podcast. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorites ( love to bake them until syrup is leaking out and have always thought that this syrup should be bottled and sold as sweetener!), so I imagine this is wonderful! I’m just curious if the frosting is of a consistency that can be piped from a piping bag or if it needs to be spread? Thanks!
Dreena says
Wonderful, thanks Jenn! I enjoyed doing that interview. The frosting is pretty thick! I’ve seen some incredibly crafty frostings from readers so I think you can have some fun decorating. Enjoy. 🙂
Tara says
Could you substitute spelt flour for whole wheat flour?
Elaine says
Question about the coco power.
Do I use unsweetened coco powder?
Thanks,
Dreena says
Yes, standard cocoa powder.
Diane says
Wow! I’m not a chocolate cake fan, but I love this! I’ve had the recipe saved for a long time, but just today took the time too make it – it was sooo easy, I wish I’d tried it sooner. This will be my new “go to recipe “. Many thanks for your work to create and share.
Dreena says
Oh excellent! Thanks for sharing your experience, Diane.
Ro Owen says
Hi Dreena, made this AMAZINGLY YUMMY cake 2 days ago and we all loved it so much and had it on our Christmas picnic lunch. Even my 2 kids (16 and 18) who are not vegan loved it!!! ….( yay because my son normally won’t touch anything willingly that is ‘vegan’ 🙁 ) . I roasted a whole big sweet potato and actually forgot it in the oven so it leaked it’s juices (but was still fine within its skin) which caramelized on the tray and were quite amazing and almost tasted like molasses. I think I will try it next time with steaming….just to see if the taste is different, and compare the 2 methods to how the flavour changes if any. I had leftover of the icing so froze that to see if it freezes ok. Have you frozen the cake and icing? I followed the recipe exactly other than I didn’t have quite enough coconut sugar so had to top up to the required amount with Rapadura. Thank-you for this deliciousness and can’t wait to try more of your yummy looking recipes. xx 🙂 (I give this recipe all 5 stars out of 5 ***** (would give more!!!)…just can’t click on them below)
Dreena says
Thanks so much! For the sweet spud, I def prefer oven-roasting, the flavor is always much better. If it dripped in the oven, next time pop it on some parchment paper on a baking tray – and don’t pierce it to bake. You don’t need to pierce like regular potatoes, and it keeps them from oozing as much. I haven’t frozen the cake/frosting, but some of my readers have and report it works fine. Good luck, and thanks for the wonderful review!
Kathleen Carpenter says
I made this Christmas Eve substituting Monkfruit for the sugar and lakanto monkfruit syrup with maple flavor for the maple syrup. It was delicious. The frostingbis amazing. My husband declared it a keeper. I took the rest of it to my son’s on Christmas as I cannot eat the desserts that are served as I have Candida. None came home. It is definitely a dessert that everyone can enjoy.
Dreena says
Just wonderful, thanks for the feedback, Kathleen! I’ll also pass along a resource for you (if you don’t already follow) for candida diet recipes. http://www.rickiheller.com Ricki is quite a recipe wizard!
Erica Bee says
I made this last night for my boyfriend who is on the Candida diet. I substituted the maple syrup for Xylitol and used Japanese sweet potatoes in both the cake and frosting. I used a 1:1 mixture of chickpea flour and buckwheat flour. Perhaps it was because of flours I used and xylitol, but my cake didn’t rise very much. We ended up with a super delicious, albeit super short, chocolate cake. Would make again, but would double the recipe for a single layer cake and quadruple for a double layer cake.
Bella Marin says
I made this cake yesterday for my daughters 4th birthday party! was a hit with all parents and kids
Dreena says
Terrific! Thanks for sharing, Bella.
LARISSA NUSSER-MEANY says
Hi! I love this cake so much and have made it in the past, but with the Holidays coming and so much to do can i bake this ahead of time and prepare the frosting ahead and freeze them ?
Or maybe freeze the cake and hold the frosting in the fridge, how long can i keep it for?
Thanks!!
Amy says
If you want to make this cake in a bundt pan, do you just double the recipe? And cooking time adjustment suggestions?
I want to take this for Thanksgiving, and due to traveling, will need to make it ahead of time. Plan to bake, cool, wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze it. Defrost the day before and frost. So, also considering if it would be easier to make in a 9″ round pan for freezing and traveling. Or in a 8×8 Pyrex, and just freeze in glass pan and ice the top (like brownies). Not as pretty, but may be easier for portability.
Would love any feedback and suggestions, My friend shared your recipe with me and said people love it every time she’s made it.
Thanks!
Girija Venkat says
I love, love this cake. Made this about 10+times. No fail cake. What a fantastic recipe. Thank you.
Dreena says
Hi Girija, well that’s most wonderful to read, thank you for the cheer!
Rabbit says
Wow!! This looks like a popular receipe. I can’t wait to try it, but can you please confirm it’s gluten free. Also as i can’t use any butter or oil is there a substitute? When you oil the pan do you place the baking paper over it?
Dreena says
Hi, no spelt flour is not gluten-free. It’s not traditional wheat flour, but related to wheat. Sometimes people with wheat sensitivities can eat spelt, but those that need gluten-free cannot.
Yasmin says
Hi, are the chocolate chips mandatory or is it just an added thing? Usually they end up just being little lumps of chocolate in the cake so I was wondering if I could skip it.
Dreena says
Yes, you can skip them if you prefer. I use the mini chips and they work beautifully!
Sarah says
I have two questions:
Would canned sweet potato work/measure the same or might that cause a texture problem?
I don’t have coconut sugar, only regular sugar. Do they work similarly? Eventually I need to buy and try coconut sugar but I want to use up what I already have.
Thank you!
Sonal says
I made the frosting just now and wow, it is amazing! It taste better than my usual junky favourite, Betty Crocker frosting. I love how it’s healthy. I used maple syrup because I didn’t have anything else. Thanks for this.
Liz says
This is my FAVORITE recipe for birthdays.
I have made this several times and I
end up wanting to lick the spoon and plate
clean.
A few tips:
I follow the receipe exactly as written
except I didn’t like the taste of the (almond)
milk needed to get the icing the right
consitistancy for spreading so…….,
I use a deep dish glass pie pan and
unbleached parchment paper to
line the entire pan (no oil needed).
Pour in cake batter and bake.
Once the cake is cooked and cooled,
I flip the cake out of
the pan onto a serving plate and gently
peel off the paper. I then pour the icing
over the entire cake and immediately
refrigerate.
It always look beautiful once the icing “sets”
and taste really rich and decadent.
Daniela Russo says
Hi there,
I would love to make this cake for my son’s athletics carneval tomorrow as a healthier alternative to the usual heavily refined options. I’m wondering roughly how many standard muffins the 8 inch cake would make and whether I would need to double the mixture to get 24 muffins? I’m guessing the cooking time will change as well. Would you know roughly how long I would need to bake 1x 12 muffin pan for? Finally, when you ask for 3/4 cup sweet potato for the filling is that mashed or in chunks? I’m finding it hard to know how much sweet potato to use. Thanks!!
Dreena says
Hi Daniela, yes, you will definitely need to double – actually I believe doubling will give you 12 standard muffins, but if you fill for cupcake size (which is usually not a full muffin cup, more like 1/3 – 1/2), you may get 24 with double. If you go with a cupcake measure, I’d say check the doneness after about 12-13 minutes. For sweet potato, I don’t even cube it. Usually the sweet potato is so soft that I just piece it out in large segments into the measuring cup. Hope that helps.
Daniela Russo says
Thanks so much for the prompt reply Deena. I am just bout to pop them into the muffin tray now. Will let you know how they turn out.
Conrad Babicz says
I’m a but skeptical, but I will try it even though I don’t like cake and I’m nervous about mixing chocolate and sweet potato, hahaha 🙂 Although, I am a huge sweet potato fan, so looking forward to it, cheers!
Ashley Hoober says
Ok WOW! best vegan cake recipe by far! Kids and hubby LOVED it
Dreena says
Awesome! Love to read your enthusiasm, thanks Ashley.
A B Chen says
AMAZING!!!!
I’ve never had a cake so light!
I used the water from boiling the potatoes in the recipe.
I made this for my son’s second birthday, and it was a hit!
Stephanie S says
I’ve tried to make this twice without success. It’s a shame because I’ve followed the recipe exactly but it turns out thick, similar to bread dough and the cake, after refrigerated is very hard.
Any insights what I could be doing incorrectly?
Thank you!
Dreena says
Sorry to hear that, Stephanie. Are you using any different flour, or making any other substitutions?
Jennifer says
I LOVE your cake, but I can’t get the recipe to print. Can you check it for me? Only the introduction is shown on the page to print.
Dreena says
I need to fix this – will do soon, thanks!
Maggie says
I would drag your mouse over it, choose ‘copy’ and paste into your word processing program. It should print fine that way.
Maren says
This looks fabulous and people clearly love it, so in preparation for baking it for a birthday party I tried to print. I noticed that a number of people have mentioned the problem with the print function and was surprised to see that it still doesn’t work. I used that Print icon above the recipe. Is there a solution?
Phil says
I made this last night for my wife’s birthday. She loved it . My 9 year old really loved it, too. Thank you for this recipe. Even though I’ve eaten this way for a few years, I’ve never made a cake. And this cake was a success, on my first try. Absolutely awesome.
Cheri Head says
I have lots of flavored vinegars and never know what to do with them, so for this recipe I used some mandarin oranged flavored balsamic in place of the regular balsamic, and then I added some orange peel as well, and it had a yummy orange flavor! Next time I think I’ll try the lavender vinegar. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Terri Edwards says
I think it’s time to make this again! We’ve enjoyed it three times in the past, and it is by far the best chocolate cake recipe EVER! Thank you for an amazing dessert that my whole family loves!
Elizabeth says
Do you use a toothpick to test doneness? Mine kept coming out too moist several minutes over suggested bake time. Just wondering for next time.
Dreena says
Definitely give that a try, Elizabeth. Ovens vary and baking changes by region/area. I know by ‘looking’ at it usually, and just even lightly touching the surface (it won’t be sticky and will spring back slightly). Hopefully next time it turns out just right for you!
Tracy says
Could chickpea flour be used instead of the spelt?
Dreena says
Hi Tracy, no, not in full. I do have a chocolate chickpea cake in the new diabetes cookbook, however.
Beth G says
A friend brought this to a vegan potluck and we all loved it. I came home and made this too. I used ww flour, carob instead of cocao and less maple syrup. I did not blend. I threw all the ingredients in a bowl and mixed, then baked. It was delicious.
Just wondering if I need the parchment paper ? Can I just oil the baking pan instead ?
Dreena says
Hi Beth, glad to hear it, thanks for the feedback! You can certainly just oil the pan. I like to do a very light wipe of oil and then line with a strip of parchment to more easily remove the cake layer from the pan.
Surabhi Arora says
Hey Dreena, I cam across this recipe from the FB group. Given it is resounding success, I am planning to bake this for my son’s birthday. But I don’t have maple syrup at hand, what can be a substitute? Increasing Sugar?
Dreena says
Hi Surabhi, I’d pick up some maple syrup. If you change the liquid sweetener to a dry, you’ll then need to change other dry to wet proportions and that gets tricky. If you have another liquid sweetener like agave or coconut nectar you can try those, though maple syrup definitely preferred!
Crystal says
Made this today and WOW it was so good – Thank you! Super moist. I did add a little instant espresso (1 tsp for the frosting and about 1 heaping tsp for cake batter) and it really just blew my mind. Topped it with fresh blueberries and I’m in heaven. This recipe will definitely be on permanent holiday rotation. THANK YOU!
Crystal says
Oh and P.S. I used canned organic sweet potato because I bought it a long time ago and figured I’d give it a shot. Worked like a charm!
Celine says
This cake sounds delicious! My husband is allergic to tree nuts. Is there a substitute for the almond/cashew butter for the icing? I think peanut butter would be too overpowering. Have you ever make this cake using canned sweet potato?
Bree says
I’m planning on trying Sunflower Seed Butter with it.
Becka says
I’m so excited to try this before my daughter’s 1st birthday! I’m going to see if I can adjust it to have 0 sugar that isn’t from a whole food. I.e. dates or banana maybe apple sauce – Any suggestions or helpful hints would be greatly appreciated!
Dreena says
Hi Becka, I’d try to stay as close to texture as the original, so date syrup for maple syrup and date sugar for the maple syrup. I do consider maple syrup a whole foods sweeteners, it comes straight from a tree and isn’t highly processed. Also, coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than many other sweeteners.
Becka says
It turned out perfect! I wish I could post a picture of it. I did end up leaving out the coconut sugar and only using maple syrup also substituted coco with carob. Love love love this recipe, and so did all the guests!
Laurie says
I’ve made this cake several times and everyone loved it. I’d like to make it for Passover, but the following ingredients are prohibited: wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt. Is there another flour I could use instead of spelt flou? Maybe almond flour or almond meal?
Dreena says
Hi Laurie, almond flour has a very different texture and baking factor than any of those other flours. I’d look for a recipe that uses almond flour as the sole base, or try something different like a raw pie or cheesecake. I have a few on my site, here: http://bit.ly/2jS0eXR http://bit.ly/128AvLz Hope that helps.
Hannah says
I used Uncle Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flower which is rice based and doesn’t have any of the above. It turned out amazing!
Crystal says
I have been eating Whole Food Plant Based no oil for just over two months and chose to bake this cake for my husband’s birthday. I used whole wheat pastry flour in place of the spelt and made two layers, otherwise followed the instructions. The cake took a few minutes longer in my oven. I am at 7000 feet, and surprisingly this cake did not cave in in the middle like cakes always do here. The cake is rich and fudgy…a little denser than “regular” cake. The frosting is a bit thin at first, but after a short chill stayed in place, even on the sides of the cake (I refrigerated the iced cake until serving.). It is almost more like a ganache. EVERYONE loved the cake. I waited until after they had tasted it to inform them of the secret ingredient, having a few sweet potato haters in the group. I decorated the cake with sliced strawberries. They became chocolate covered strawberries with that divine frosting! I have a little frosting left (single batch was more than enough for two layer cake) and I’ll be using it as a fruit dip! Thank you, Dreena, for letting me make a fabulous cake for my husband while remaining true to our new way of eating!
Dreena says
Hi Crystal, this is delightful to read! I’ve never baked at high altitudes – I’m so pleased the recipe worked for you, and even more pleased that everyone loved the cake so much. Just wonderful! Blessings, and thank you.
Pam M. says
I wanted to save this recipe by printing it but the print function does not print the recipe, only the top paragraph.
Dreena says
Thanks Pam, I’ll check into it.
Shari says
Same for me. I just tried to print it and it only did the top of it. Can’t wait to make this!
Lynn says
Based on all the wonderful reviews I have this cake in the oven right now so I can serve at bridge club tomorrow evening. Should I refrigerate the cake overnight and frost just before serving or leave the cake out on counter at room temperature and then frost tomorrow? Thanks!
Dreena says
Hi Lynn, I’m late to reply. I typically frost the night before the day I want to serve it. Just helps the frosting set up on the cake. I also keep it refrigerated. Enjoy!
Sandra says
Do you know the carb count and nutritional information on this? I am a type 2 diabetic and would love to try this.
Sandy
Alice says
The right kind of carbs are a diabetics best friend!
Tara says
How do you measure the sweet potatoes? Do you cook and mash them first and then measure the mashed potato or do you cut them in cubes and measure it before you cook it?
Dreena says
Hi Tara, after baking the sweet potatoes, they will be so soft that you can just scoop the flesh to measure – don’t really even need to cube. Just bake, scoop to measure – good to go!
Chris says
I tried to print this scrumptious recipe from your website print button located near the recipe, but was told it would not download beyond page 1. So I tackled it another way. Turns out the post was over 50 pages! When you post your wonderful recipes is there a way to make them printer? Or perhaps they all ready are and I just need a little help. Thanks. Keep up the good work!
Dreena says
Hi Chris. Yikes! Did you print via the print icon in the recipe, or directly print the blog post?
Allyssa says
Has anyone tried freezing the icing? I’m hoping to just defrost it and whip it.
Jasleen Sethi says
Hi. I baked the cake with wholewheat flour. It turned out yum and kind of soft too. But a little dense. Can u please tell me where i could have gone wrong. As i read its supposed to be moist.
Thanks.
Kerstin Rosee says
My near vegan daughter was asking for a cake for her birthday today so we made cupcakes from your recipe. They turned out absolutely beautiful. The frosting is good enough to eat on its own (and since it is a generous portion, that might be exactly what I’ll do with the leftovers).
I can see this becoming a family favourite for birthdays and celebrations. Thank you for the recipe.
Kerstin
Dreena says
Just fabulous, thanks Kerstin! I may have made that frosting serving generous just for that reason. 😉
Tammy says
Made this as cupcakes. Cooked for 25 minutes. They were absolutely delicious. Took to a party and every single one was eaten with many non plant based friends going back for seconds. A double cake batch made 21 regular sized cupcakes. Did not need to double the frosting. One batch was more than enough. Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Brandie foster says
Made this last night and it’s sooooo good!!! Do you happen to have the nutritional info? Thank you so much for sharing!
Dreena says
oh wonderful! I don’t have the nutritional breakdown, sorry, but you can enter it online if you like, here’s a site: http://nutritiondata.self.com/
Heather says
Do people who do not like sweet potatoes still like this?
Dreena says
I’ve heard from some readers that their fam members that don’t like sweet spuds didn’t know!
Emma Soji says
my heritic husband swears he hates sweet potato so I was happy and sheepishly pleased to hear he loved these chocolate treats. Great recipe
Heather says
OMG! Made this today for a family bday cake and my husband who hates sweet potatoes had NO IDEA they were in there! LOL It was really good! I live in a small town and stores did not have spelt flour nor coconut sugar (or anything similar), so I did have to use whole wheat flour instead and I did half regular sugar, half Splenda brown sugar blend. I did double the cake recipe and made it in a bundt pan. Did not double frosting recipe as it was plenty for a bundt. Took 5 – 6 large sweet potatoes for me making this amount. Thanks for the recipe. Maybe next time, I will plan ahead and order the other ingredients online!
Dreena says
Wonderful, Heather! Thanks for adding this note for others (and for me!) 🙂 Cheers!
Donna Bengle says
You cannot even taste the sweet potato in it. My husband is NOT a fan of SP’s and loves this. I also had several omni’s at work try this out and they genuinely loved it. Said they wouldn’t have known it was such a healthy alternative if I hadn’t told them.
Dreena says
thanks for sharing this feedback, Donna, so happy to read that!
Tammy says
You don’t taste sweet potato at all. If you never told anyone they wouldn’t know.
Cindy says
This recipe sounds absolutely divine! Should the cake be removed from the baking pan and then cooled on the cooling rack or cool in the pan?
Dreena says
Thanks Cindy! You cool the cake in the pan, then remove. You can remove when it’s mostly cool. Enjoy!
Faye says
I made this cake yesterday, following the recipe exactly. Wow! It is beyond awesome! I will make it again and again! Thank you so much!
Allison says
Fantastic, rich, moist, dark chocolate cake!!
I made this cake for my non-vegan family and everybody loved it! I did find it a little sweet for myself and may cut back on the maple syrup/sugar next time though. For the frosting I used food grade cocoa butter in place of nut butter, and it worked wonderfully. I had to add more almond milk to it, but it came out very fudge-y and delicious.
Enfis says
thanks a-lot for the recipe! I wonder if I substitute sweet potato for pumpkin, will it turn out good? 🙂 <3
Sophie says
Looks great! I’d love to give this recipe a try! However, I have a question: is it possible to sub the coconut sugar in the cake for more maple syrup? Just wondering.
Dreena says
Hi Sophie, you can but then it requires adjusting for dry/wet ingredients. Without testing I can’t say for certain how to adjust.
Marta says
I added dates and it was perfect… didn’t have to adjust too much of the rest!
Brenda says
How did you use dates? Thx
Rhonda says
Iam going to do that and Iam going to try coconut flour,or I thought coconut nectar instead of sugardo you think that would be okay thankyou
Dreena says
Hi Rhonda, no, coconut flour is not a good flour substitute in general, it is very dry and you will have a poor result. Also, don’t substitute a liquid sweetener for the dry.
Renee says
Darn I should have read this first, the coconut flour doesn’t work I’m going to try it again with the correct flour!!
Cassandra says
Hi I need a gluten free flour. I bought coconut flour. But reading comments now. Ugh. What gluten free flour should I use
Kathy Adkisson says
I made these as cupcakes for my daughters 24th birthday party last night. They were a hit. No one knew they were dairy free and made with sweet potatoes. I doubled the batch and it made 24 cupcakes I used a silicone cupcake pan with no paper liners needed and they just popped out when cooled.. I put the icing in a quart size baggy and put in the fridge for several hours then cut a small portion out of the corner of the baggy and iced the cupcakes in a circle formation. I didn’t have cashew butter for the icing so I made my own in the food processor which was so easy and quick. This is my second review because i love these so much.
Dreena says
Just delighted to read this, Kathy! Gratitude for your kindness.
Tracy Healy says
Kathy, how long did you cook them for? I think that’s in the recipe notes somewhere but I can’t seem to find it.
Thanks!
Maura Quady says
So helpful! Thank you for the cupcake comments. I also was so happy to see the note about making your own cashew butter for this particular recipe. Made the cake last year and about to start cupcakes for my son’s 3rd birthday.
Natalia says
I made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday, and I’m so thrilled!! It’s so delicious and decadent, and he LOVED it. My husband isn’t vegan (yet), he’s about 93% there. Since I’m the one who cooks most of the time and we never have animal products in the house, he mostly eats plans like me and once in a while has a meat/dairy dish when we’re out. My family kept telling me it’s his birthday, make something he likes, it doesn’t have to be vegan. But I decided to go with my gut and do it anyway. I told him if he doesn’t like it, plan B would be to get a cake from a local bakery. He’s always 100% honest, and tells me if he likes something or if it tastes like cardboard. Well this time I won him over, and it’s better than any vegan bake good he has tried made with loads of sugar, white flour and oil/butter. That’s one disappointing thing about vegan baked goods, they’re so loaded with unhealthy things, and they don’t even taste good.
I used canned organic sweet potato since that’s what I had, and made my own cashew butter for the frosting. I love dark chocolate, and this cake is basically dark chocolate in cake form. I cut it in half to make a taller half of a cake, and added walnuts in the middle with the frosting.
I might try a “white” frosting next time to balance out the chocolate, since my husband is a fan of milk chocolate. I haven’t told him about the secret ingredient yet, and I doubt he’ll figure it out. I can almost never hide anything from him, he has what I call professional tastebuds :).
Anyway, I can go on and on about how much I enjoyed this cake. So thank you for sharing this recipe with me and the rest of the world!!
Jerry says
I was wondering about the placement of parchment paper in the cake pan. Do you cover the entire bottom surface or just a piece in the middle. Thanks in advance.
Dreena says
I just line a strip down through the middle of most pans, but for cake pans I cut a circle to fit the bottom. I should to a vid about that sometime!
Naomi says
I was wondering what you could use in the frosting instead of nut butters as my son has allergies, we aren’t vegan
so sorry if I offend, but butter maybe?
Dreena says
Hi Naomi, no not butter, the texture won’t work well (even vegan margarine). You *can* use coconut butter, just add extra liquid because it’s very dense and dry. Here’s a post about it: http://bit.ly/1J5bMPY and here are some other brands: http://amzn.to/2nOOrRa
Erin says
I wonder if sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds) would work as a nut-free alternative?
Dreena says
You could, but personally I notice the flavor of sunbutter and it’s a touch bitter for a frosting for most people. I’d sub coconut butter instead (not oil, coconut butter) and add a little more milk as needed to puree (as coconut butter is drier than nut butter).
Yeela says
And another question, I wanted To make my son a cake shaped as train. Do You think it could work with this recipe ? Thank you!
Yeela says
Didier someone trier this with whole wheat flour?
jaki says
Here’s a silly questions: Is it better to boil or bake the sweet potato?
Dreena says
not silly! I prefer roasting, b/c it concentrates the flavors. Boiling makes them more watery. Plus, SO easy to bake, just pop on a sheet with parchment, in oven, forget about it for about 45 mins and then you’ll smell the sweet spud goodness 🙂
Karen says
Planning to make this cake and hesitant to have the oven on for a really long time roasting sweet potatoes and then baking. How do you think microwaving the sweet potatoes would work? This is how I normally prepare sweet potatoes for meals.
kathy says
you can cook the sweet potatoes in a crock pot. just wash the skins but don’t dry them. Put potatoes in crock pot and cook 7 hrs on med or 3 hrs on high. I cook 5-6 at a time then freeze what I don’t need immediately.
When ready to use just thaw.
Karen says
Just want to follow-up. Microwaving them worked great. Have now made this cake twice to rave reviews. Thanks!
Laura says
Thank you for the microwave update as I havent found any current scientific studies that prohibit is use, I do like the convenience.
Kirsten Ness says
Just made this recipe again, this time a QUADRUPLE batch, as per request for a high school bake sale!! I filled a large lasagna pan, and my 9×9 square cake pan. I only double the frosting since I’ve found it to be quite generous in the past. I have leftover frosting that I’m struggling not to eat like pudding!!! Thanks so much Dreena, this one is always a winner!
Laurie says
My twin nieces love this cake. I want to make a couple dozen cupcakes for their graduation party next week. How long would you bake the cupcakes?
I’ll be traveling with the cupcakes so umme thinking about freezing them, keeping the frosting in a cooler, and then frosting them upon arrival. What do you think?
Dreena says
Thanks Laurie 🙂 I usually bake cupcakes around 15-17 minutes, depending on how full, so check after about 15 minutes. As for your travel plans, that should work beautifully!
Judy says
Great recipe! Instead of spelt flour I used 100g rolled oats blended into flour in the Vitamix and Japanese sweet potatoes which are super sweet. I cut them in quarters placed faced down on parchment and covered with foil. Baked ar 350 for 70minutes. The skin peels right off. Next time I may reduce sugar and try expresso instead of balsamic.
Grace says
Did the oat flour seem to work well? I’m looking for a gluten free alternative to spelt flour, but I don’t want the yumminess of the cake compromised!
Claudine says
Wow, this cake is so good. I cannot believe it! To me it was like heaven on a plate!
My guests found it a bit too sweet and too rich. I’ll probably try to go a little lighter on the sugar in the frosting next time. But there will be a next time for sure!
Thank you so much for all your sensational recepies but especially for this one!
Sarah says
Thank you for sharing. Looks delicious! Did anyone have any success with using less sugar? With most recipes I only use half the amount of sugar, since I don’t like most things to be too sweet
Lisa says
Do you have the nutritional value on this cake?
Dreena says
Hi Lisa, no, sorry I don’t. You can enter the information manually on nutrition analysis sites like http://nutritiondata.self.com/ hope that helps
Lauren Vaught says
Hi Dreena,
First, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my healthy heart for all the amazing and delicious recipes and ideas! Now, about the sweet potato chocolate cake. I think the question about using canned sweet potato puree was answered, but would I use the whole can?? In health, Lauren from Edible Musings
Dreena says
I haven’t tested it myself with canned, but if you use it be sure to measure it out – just scoop out to measure 3/4 cup.
Michelle Legg says
I made this for the first time today and its absolutely fantastic!!!!! I never changed anything! wow!!! would like tomake it into cupcakes too, I think that would be fabulous too!
Denise Dowst says
I have made this cake and it delish!! I want to make it GF, would all purpose GF flour work in place of spelt flour? Thank you!
Dreena says
There’s a GF version in my Plant-Powered Families group, if you want to join and check out the version: https://www.facebook.com/groups/plantpoweredfamilies/
Bev says
I made this and found the texture of the cake rubbery! I did not have sweet potatoes so I used frozen orange squash (thawed )
Dreena says
Sorry you had that experience, Bev. Frozen and thawed squash will not have the same flavor or texture as roasted sweet potato, so will definitely alter the final flavor and texture.
Devora Krischer says
Dreena, thanks so much for this great recipe! I am always looking for low-sugar, low-fat recipes. I can’t wait to try this! I even have cooked sweet potato in the freezer!
Fenella briscomb says
I have to admit that I’m not usually a fan of vegan cakes, but I happened to have enough left over cooked sweet potato to make the frosting. Big mistake, HUGE mistake! I’m sitting here eating spoonfuls of it and telling myself that It’s borderline health food. I’m almost too scared to make the cake… Thank you.
Kerrilyn says
Help. I’ve made this cake twice and each time it turned out flat. Any ideas on where I went wrong? I cooked them in 8″ round tins in fan forced oven.
C.T. says
Such a lovely recipe, many thanks!
To make it GF (Gluten free) I replaced 1 cup spelt flour with:
3/4 Cup brown rice flour
1 Tablespoon potato flour
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
,and it worked fine.
Sue johnston says
Thank you!
Salima says
Thank you so much for sharing that!!
Irene says
Thank you so much for doing it gluten free
ALEX says
CAN THIS BE MADE AS BROWNIES INSTEAD OF A CAKE? IF I BAKE IN A GLASS RECTANGULAR DISH AND JUST FROST THE TOP OF THE CAKE ONLY?
Zakirah says
One more thing…I baked it in a 9″ round cake pan, and that was a mistake. It came out quite short. I should’ve used an 8″ round pan next time.
Zakirah says
First of all, this cake is amazing. For a frosted cake with no cream, butter & less sugar, it’s unbelievably decadent! I didn’t expect it to turn out really good, especially because I did some substitutions. I’ll share them here, in case someone will benefit from them:
For the cake…
1. I used honey instead of maple syrup
2. I used all purpose flour instead of the suggested flour.
3. I left out the coconut sugar. Instead, I used ¼ tsp of powdered stevia, and to replace the bulk of the sugar, I used ¼ cup yoghurt.
4. Because of the yoghurt, I used a little less than ½ cup water, maybe ⅓, to balance the consistency of the batter.
5. I used white vinegar instead of balsamic vinegar
6. I used chopped baking chocolate instead of chocolate chips (because they’re cheaper in my country)
For the frosting…
1. I used about ⅓ cup of brown sugar, and a few dashes of powdered stevia
2. I used ½ cup cashews instead of cashew butter
3. Because of this, I have to use more milk (the cashews keep getting stuck in the blender without moving), like maybe almost ¼ cup
4. I didn’t put salt
Karri Bertrand Bolton says
I believe the recipe is meant to be vegan, and your modifications of honey and dairy undo that.
Rachel Snider says
That’s okay!
Saskia says
I was thinking the same thing, Karri
. That’s a completely different recipe and made with animal excretions. Sad.
Dreena says
I didn’t notice that myself until now. Yes, why change it and add dairy and honey when it’s perfectly easy and delicious as-is.
Naomi says
Thank you for your substitutes, I’m sure the cake is beautiful as is and will attempt it one day.
But i don’t have all that in the cupboard so knowing it works with ordinary flour is great. : )
Milkisobel says
Hi,
This recipe is juste insane. I could eat all the whole batch in one breath. For the next time i’ll just decrease a lil bit the sugar amount. Also, as i don’t have any gluten pb, i used regular half whole grain wheat flour. Thank you very much for this !
But one question, mine was really tiny, do you double the recipe for the one on the pic ?
Janine says
I made this recipe as cake pops for my son’s birthday (covered in dairy free chocolate) and cannot tell you how well they were received. I also made the lemon frosting you have in Plant Powered Families for a vegan GF carrot cake – also a hit. I didn’t used to get this many compliments when I baked non-vegan/ non-GF. A huge thank you, Dreena
Maria says
This sounds delicious. I’m going to make this for my 3 kiddos, later today. My question is, can I use sorghum flour or oat flour? And most importantly, what can I use to replace the sugar. I don’t eat any sugar. Sometimes stevia sweetened vegsn chocolate. Otherwise, I sweeten with fruit. TIA
Pandita says
I made this cake with equal amounts of dates instead of sugar and it came out great
Pixie @ Cheerfully Vegan says
That’s very exciting to know! I will try that as I’m moving away from sugar as often as I can. Thank you!
Laura says
Yes. Very exciting news on the dates!!
cHERYL says
Because my oven is on the fritz, I’m wondering if this could be made in an Instant Pot? I’ve make a cake it it once before and it wasn’t bad – anyone have any ideas using this recipe?
Dreena says
I haven’t tried baking in the Instant Pot, so I have no idea whether it would work – sorry!
Molly says
Whoa! You can make cake in an IP? I’ve been pondering the acquisition. Is there anything this appliance can’t do?
Andrea says
I have four children and I am always looking for better desserts that they can have. I made this cake and frosting today and it was a big hit. I stuck to the recipe and it turned out wonderfully. Thanks for the great recipe and a good way to get my kids to eat sweet potato.
Pam says
Tried your cake and frosting today. OMGosh!!! Definitely will be my go-to chocolate cake from now on. Thank you for sharing.
Nancy says
I made this yesterday and it was good. For the flour, I ground some hard white grain into flour and had success with the cake moisture and texture. I also made the frosting, but used peanut butter since that is what I had on hand. I doubled both recipes and the frosting doubled made way too much (bit then, I am not a frosting person and do not like to used a lot).
I have the grandkids coming over today ~ so the true test of whether this cake is a keeper or not is yet to come. If I make it again, I think I will cut back on the sugar even more (I used the lesser amount) I want to retrain my tastebuds to not care for sweet as much.
I will say this cake tasted better when it sat for a bit rather than when eaten soon after cooled. Thank you for a great recipe.
Jamie says
I left a post, but it didn’t say it went through, and I had a “hiccup” on my screen. so if this is a double you can just delete whichever one you don’t want. Sorry about that :/ I was strolling through Pintrest looking for a recipe I could use for the leftover baked sweet potato from the night before. I was a little skeptical when I saw sweet potato and balsamic vinegar mixed with chocolate. I decided to try it anyways. It is an awesome recipe! A big hit with my entire family! We will be making this again. 🙂 The cake was amazingly moist! Loved it!I made the icing with peanut butter because I didn’t have the almond or cashew butter and it was a bit too nutty for me. Now I know why you should use cashew or almond, lol..if you like Reese’s than peanut butter works! Plus, I didn’t have coconut sugar. I used sugar cane sugar instead. It worked for the cake but didn’t work for the icing. Made it too grainy. Could I used confectioner’s sugar if I don’t have coconut? Thanks again!!
Jamie says
I was searching Pintrest for a recipe that I could use up my leftover baked sweet potato from last night’s dinner. I admit I was skeptical of sweet potato and balsamic vinegar mixed with chocolate, but I am amazed. 🙂 This recipe is awesome! I did use sugar cane sugar instead of the coconut sugar and it worked very well in the cake, but not in the icing. It left the icing a little crunchy. Could I use confectioner’s sugar instead, and if so, could I use the same amount as the recipe calls for? Plus, next time, I will use cashew or almond butter for the icing. I only had peanut butter and figured I would give it a shot. It left it too peanut buttery for me, but if anyone likes Reese’s, well there you have it! lol…Cashew or almond butter don’t have as strong of a nutty taste as peanut butter I would assume, right? Anyways, thank you for sharing! I will be making this again!
sujata says
Hi
I made the cake for the family as it came recommended by my vegan friend, really loved it. I have been reading the comments to see if anyone tried any other options and I noticed that there was a comment that spelt flour is used as its gluten free.
Just want to mention spelt is not GF. I noticed that you have mentioned that coconut flour, how about brown rice flour?
You can also use coconut butter (cream) instead of coconut oil 🙂
Thanks
Sujata Kale-Banerjea
Certified Nutrition Practitioner
Metabolic Balance Coach
Dreena says
Thanks Sujata, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, spelt is not gluten-free. There *is* a GF version posted in our FB group page, one of my testers tried it and it was successful. Since then, many others have tried it as well. You can check that out if needed. 🙂
Becca says
What if we don’t have a Facebook but want to try it gf?? Would a premixed flour work, like gf Pillsbury all purpose flour??
Liz says
Dreena, I’ve already commented on the supreme deliciousness of this recipe, but I just HAD to come back and voice my praises for this cake once more.
I made it — again — last night as one of my Christmas desserts for a celebration with my partner’s family. (I must preface the proceeding comment with the note that my partner’s family are typical SAD eaters and eat a lot of mass-produced sweets. Consequently, they have palates that are familiar with and expect large amounts of processed sweeteners, salt and fat.)
I turned it into a double layer cake (baked in two 6″ cake pans, which made the PERFECT thickness for a mini layer cake and a beautiful presentation with some roasted, chopped hazelnuts on top center — I used roasted hazelnut butter in the frosting again), and though claims of “I’m full”, “I don’t want dessert and “I don’t like chocolate” were thrown around, everyone DEVOURED this. Even my partner’s father, who doesn’t offer up compliments very often and likes to tease me (especially about my plant-based diet) admitted to how good this cake was. With the first bite, his face softened and his eyebrows raised slightly, letting me know how genuinely impressed he was. I felt a little guilty accepting all the praise for this cake. 🙂
This dessert is SUCH a crowd pleaser and just SO easy to make. You are a GENIUS, and, in my new kitchen, there will be a shrine erected to you. 😀
Laura says
Love the hazelnut butter option
Christie says
I made this last night and it was amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Stephanie says
Hi there! I was wondering if this could be adapted to make a white cake. Like if I used a white sweet potato and extra sugar in place of the cocoa? Would I still use the balsamic vinegar? Thanks. This really looks delicious but my son can’t have much chocolate and I’m looking to make him a dessert. 🙂
Heidi says
Love this one! I’ve made it twice. I never have cashew butter premade and so I just used a heaping 1/2 c of raw cashews in the frosting. This time I added a bit of almond extract to it–over the top yum! Thank you!
Michelle says
Dreena,
This is genius! I just made it, and the icing is amazing – can’t believe it’s sweet potato!!!
Tell me, though, why the chocolate chips? Are there supposed to be chips in the finished product, or are they supposed to melt into the cake? Not that a chocolate chip cake is a bad idea, mind you, it just strikes me as kind of unusual, since it’s not what my mind & mouth are expecting in a traditional chocolate cake.
Dreena says
Thanks Michelle! Sometimes I just enjoy adding a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips, for a slight chocolate boost in the cake. But, it’s totally optional!
lisa says
How did you cook the sweet potatoes? Also, the orange ones are sometimes referred to as yams, right?
Dreena says
I always bake my sweet potatoes whole. Sorry, that info isn’t detailed in the recipe because it’s excerpted from my book (and it’s detailed there). But, I bake on a sheet lined with parchment, whole, until fully soft. Best method for flavor. And yes, in Canada we call them garnet or jewel yams!
Mimi says
Could I use a gluten free flour blend?
Mimi says
Also have you ever tried making this recipe as cupcakes? Thank you!
Dreena says
Yes, one of my testers worked out a GF version. Join our FB group here, there’s a file with the details posted: https://www.facebook.com/groups/plantpoweredfamilies/ 🙂
Dana says
This is an amazing recipe. I made it for friends and family and everyone enjoyed it. You wouldn’t ever identify the sweet potatoes, but they make an incredibly moist cake. Love, love, love this. Don’t feel the need to alter this recipe.
Eat2Health Blog says
What a gorgeous cake! Definitely on the to-do list this season. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
kimberley says
I found non dairy choc chips in the health food store and some grocery stores…. check the organic or gluten-free section
Anne says
Hey Dreena!
I am literally writing this comment as I’m devouring a piece of this cake. It’s so amazing I couldn’t wait writing you a comment. It is hands down the best chocolate cake I’ve had for years, if not my entire life. It’s incredibly light, yet satisfying and so, so delicious. It’s hard to believe it’s made from whole foods. It proves that healthy eating can be delicious 🙂
Izel says
iF you have a nuts allergy, what can be used instead of the almond/cashew butter?
Dreena says
You can use coconut butter, but you’ll need to add extra milk to thin. I’d also warm/soften the coconut butter first. You can also try tiger nut butter if you are able to use that.
Cristina says
I had to go to her FB page to find this info. She says “Yes, just use a little less, I use about 1 cup + 3 tbsp spelt to sub for every cup of wheat flour, so go a little scant.” I used WWPF and went scant, but not by 3 tbsp (maybe 1.5) and it worked great!
Dreena says
Thanks Cristina. I don’t always see the Qs on my post. Yes, in the other direction you need to reduce the flour a little, but not by 3 tbsp. Since subbing up you increase by about 3, when switching to w/w pastry you just need a scant cup (less about a tbsp).
Cristina says
Hi Linda,
I have found 3 brands of coconut sugar at Walmart in NC!
Heidi says
This cake and frosting are incredible! So delicious!
I have type 1 diabetes and even when taking insulin for the correct amount of carbohydrate cake has always made my blood sugar spike, but not this one. I can’t explain how incredible it felt to eat cake and feel great! Thank you so much Dreena! God bless you!
Dreena says
Wow, that’s amazing. Thanks for sharing, Heidi! 🙂
Liz says
Made this on Thanksgiving for my partner’s birthday (which fell on T-Day this year) and used Hazelnut butter in the frosting to get a Nutella vibe going on (it’s my partner’s favorite flavor EVER). Oh. Em. GEE. The most amazing thing EVER. The frosting was SO incredibly luxurious and decadent; it had the most amazing mouthfeel and didn’t leave a disgusting coating in the mouth like typical frostings. My partner walked in while i was spreading it across the cake and wanted to taste it. After sticking a GIANT spoonful in his mouth, he just wanted to sit down with the bowl, spoon in hand, and just eat it like that. LOL SO incredible. This is going to be my go-to, convert-all-nonbelievers secret weapon. LOL It was just phenomenal.
(PS For any cooks that need to modify due to allergies or dietary restrictions or are low on ingredients, this frosting is incredibly forgiving. I used half the granulated sweetener called for, threw in some soaked dates, some of the water I soaked the dates in and stevia, used a pretty packed cup of sps. and, as noted above, subbed in drippy roasted hazelnut butter for the thick, raw cashew butter, and it still came out AMAZING. The consistency and texture was fantastic.)
Liz says
Masala Girl,
What do you mean by “sub for the sugar”? Are you looking for a sub for the coconut sugar, a sub for processed sugar, a sub for dry sugar? I don’t do a lot of baking, but I keep our household free of most processed sweeteners and do a fair amount of low sweetener baking experimentation. So, if you tell me more of what you’re looking to exclude (and, consequently, INCLUDE), maybe I can help you out. (Although, be warned, liquid stevia always makes a showing in my experimentation, so if you’re sensitive to it or it’s taste, mention that, too.)
Stacey says
Liz, I would like to know how you would sub for the sugar in this recipe. I am good with the maple syrup but we do not use any kind of “sugar”. I am good with stevia, or dates, but not sure how to substitute the right amount for all of the coconut sugar that is being used.
Liz says
Krystal,
I find when subbing out nut butters, I have the best luck using a combination of replacements so no one single flavor dominates. By that, I mean, I use more than one substitute. We don’t have a nut allergy in my family, but sometimes, due to low pantry inventory, (or just a desire to rotate my seed/nut butters), I need to use subs. So, if possible, I would use both suggestions (coconut butter, sunflower seed butter), plus the one you threw out — tahini. But, I’d use raw tahini. Do you have Amazon Prime? This is an affordable, good raw tahini, http://smile.amazon.com/Barons-Kosher-Ground-Sesame-16-ounce/dp/B00B1HL0H8/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1448647220&sr=1-1&keywords=tahini. (If the address doesn’t take you there, the name is Baron’s Kosher tahini.) It comes in a plastic jar, but I empty it out into empty nut butter glass jars when I get it.
Also, I HIGHLY recommend Maranatha’s sunflower seed butter. It is the tastiest sunflower seed butter I have EVER had (not at all bitter, mildly naturally sweet, and I just ADORE it), and it comes without any added oils or sugar. I buy it in mass quantities when it goes on sale at Vitacost.com (which happens about once every 4-8 weeks, for $3.91 — free shipping for orders over $49).
Lindsay Hoppe says
I am wondering if there is a sub for the coconut sugar. I’ve never seen that in stores, and I have four health food stores near me. If I can’t find it, then I bet other people are having the same issue. I know I could buy it online, but I’d prefer a sub instead.
Dreena says
It’s more widely available now, usually in grocery stores and also natural stores. Also sometimes in home discount stores (like homesense/winners here in Canada). But you can use another sugar, like cane sugar. I just love the flavor and properties of coconut sugar!
Alisa Fleming says
What an amazing and creative recipe Dreena! Pinned and stumbled this gem 🙂
Kaitlin says
What should I use for the “nondairy milk”? Is that a specific product? or is that a suggestion to use soy, hemp, almond, or another nondairy milk alternative? Thank you.
Dreena says
It’s really up to you. I prefer using organic soy or an almond or cashew milk generally for baking. 🙂
Farah says
This cake was amazing! It could pass for Duncan Hines… Moist, rich and so easy to make! My husband did not believe it was vegan. Making the frosting was a challenge. The flavor was good, but I couldn’t get it to mix in my ninja without adding more soy milk and the result was too runny..need to find a better kitchen tool. Thank you Dreena for your culinary genius, again!
masala girl says
Hi dreena! This looks amazing! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what I could sub for the sugar, or if I could omit it and alter the recipe somehow ? Thank you!
melissa says
Do you recommend storing the complete cake (i.e. after you frost it) in the fridge? Like if I make it a day or two in advance, should I keep it in the fridge? Or do you recommend keeping the cake and frosting separate until soon before serving it? (And in that case, would you still store the separate components in the fridge?)
Thanks!
Dreena says
Yes, definitely in the fridge. You can store the frosting separate if you want for a day or two (and chill cake too, yes). I almost always frost a cake the night before, or early in the morning of serving. I find it sets better with a few hours!
Krystal says
I am wondering what I can use instead of nut butter. My son has a nut sensitivity. Maybe Tahini?
Thank you!
Dreena says
I wouldn’t use tahini. If you can find/use tiger nut butter (it’s a tuber, not a nut), I’d go with that. Or, sub in coconut butter, but also add a little more milk as it’s very dense.
Ashley says
What about sunflower seed butter? It has a slightly more distinct taste, but it’s widely available even at most regular grocery stores!
Brandie says
This cake looks moist, rich and oh so good! I love how you put in sweet potatoes. Get the kids to eat their veggies while eating cake!! Awesome! Thank you for another beautiful recipe 🙂
Laloofah says
I am wondering the same thing – would like to use ww pastry flour instead, and wondering if that would work?
Liz says
Dreena, I don’t have spelt flour. What amount of whole wheat pastry flour can be subbed for that? I can never remember if it’s MORE wwp flour or LESS when subbing for spelt. . .Thanks!
Ulla says
Hi Dreena,
do you think I can use coconut flour instead of spelt flour to make it gluten free or does it not work?
Thanks!
Ulla
Dreena says
Hi Ulla. No, coconut flour needs to be combined with other flours, it’s a very ‘thirsty’ flour, so really needs some baking chemistry to work well. Several of my readers have made a gluten-free version and posted it in our FB page, have a search and you’ll find it! — https://www.facebook.com/groups/plantpoweredfamilies/
mia says
Hi Dreena,
I was lucky enough to win your book in a blog giveaway and this is the first recipe I tried. It was fantastic! Thank you <3
Dreena says
How great! Thanks for sharing that feedback, Mia. 🙂
Sonya says
Looks great! Any thoughts on a sub for the cashew butter?
Dreena says
You can use another nut butter, or if you can find it – tiger nut butter. It’s not actually a nut, so can be used by those with nut allergies.
Marsha says
where do you find the non dairy choc chips – do they have fat? source/brand of raw almond cashew butter? substitutes for spelt flour – I have a blend of gluten free grains – would that work?
Dreena says
Most whole foods / alternative grocery stores carry non-dairy chips. One brand is “Enjoy Life”. There are quite a few others, depending on your area. They aren’t fat-free, as chocolate bars always contain cacao butter. You can omit them, however. As for GF – please join our FB group… the GF version has been posted/shared by readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/plantpoweredfamilies/
Andraya says
Can you accept my Facebook request so I can access the gf recipe please?! Thank you!
Dreena Burton says
Hi Andraya, I think I just approved you to FB group.
Tiffany says
Hi Dreena!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’ll definitely make it this holiday season! I know it will be a big hit with my family.
Sending you lots of love! I always enjoy seeing posts from you! They truly bring a smile to my face 🙂
Sandy Hatch says
Thanks for sharing this recipe could you sub canned pumpkin?
Dreena says
Well, sweet potato is naturally sweeter than pumpkin. So, I’d either use canned sweet potato, or up the sweetener for pumpkin.
Dreena says
Thanks Tiffany ❤️