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.
- 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.
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.