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.
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.