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.
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!