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.
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.