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.
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).