Dreena Burton | Vegan Recipes & Cookbooks logo

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sweets Frosting

Jump to Recipe

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

NEW! Plant-Powered Families cookbook by Dreena Burton

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.SaveSave

Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Sweets Frosting #vegan #wfpb #oilfree #dessert #cake #chocolate www.plantpoweredkitchen.com
Print Pin
4.91 from 92 votes

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sweets Frosting

This cake is sweetened partially with cooked sweet potato, which also adds moisture and a tender texture. Pair it with the Chocolate Sweets Frosting (below), and you have a cake fit for a special occasion! Makes 1 cake layer (double the batch for a 2-layer cake).
Course cake, Dessert

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:
Sweet Potato Note: Orange sweet potato is a little sweeter and also a little looser than yellow sweet potato. I prefer orange in this recipe, but if you’d like to use yellow, add another 1–2 tablespoons of water, and another 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the wet ingredients to loosen slightly.
  • Frosting Notes:
Sweet Potato Note: I prefer using yellow sweet potato in this frosting, but this is still ridiculously delicious with orange sweet potato.
Blending Note: I use my Blendtec with the twister for this sauce – if you want to shop, use Blendtec Coupon Code: YAY-BLENDTEC at checkout for 20% off.
Coconut Sugar Note: Because coconut sugar does not have a fine texture, it’s useful to first process in a blender to make it powdery. If you have a high-speed blender, simply pulse a cup or more until powdery (reserve the extra for another use). If using a regular blender, process 1 1/2–2 cups of sugar with 1–1 1/2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, until it becomes powdery.
Kitchen Tip: This is a thick frosting. If you want to thin out, add more milk. After refrigerating, you can also transfer to a mixer with a whisk attachment to add the milk and fluff up the frosting.
Idea: Add 1–1 1/2 teaspoons of orange zest or 1/2 teaspoon of pure almond extract for a slight cherry flavor.

This post was originally published in November 2015 and updated on January 24, 2022.

Disclosure

This post may include affiliate links. DreenaBurton.com is an affiliate with trusted brands, and if you purchase a product through any of these affiliate links, my site earns a commission from the sale (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting my website.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jamie says

    I was searching Pintrest for a recipe that I could use up my leftover baked sweet potato from last night’s dinner. I admit I was skeptical of sweet potato and balsamic vinegar mixed with chocolate, but I am amazed. 🙂 This recipe is awesome! I did use sugar cane sugar instead of the coconut sugar and it worked very well in the cake, but not in the icing. It left the icing a little crunchy. Could I use confectioner’s sugar instead, and if so, could I use the same amount as the recipe calls for? Plus, next time, I will use cashew or almond butter for the icing. I only had peanut butter and figured I would give it a shot. It left it too peanut buttery for me, but if anyone likes Reese’s, well there you have it! lol…Cashew or almond butter don’t have as strong of a nutty taste as peanut butter I would assume, right? Anyways, thank you for sharing! I will be making this again!

    Reply

  2. sujata says

    Hi
    I made the cake for the family as it came recommended by my vegan friend, really loved it. I have been reading the comments to see if anyone tried any other options and I noticed that there was a comment that spelt flour is used as its gluten free.
    Just want to mention spelt is not GF. I noticed that you have mentioned that coconut flour, how about brown rice flour?
    You can also use coconut butter (cream) instead of coconut oil 🙂
    Thanks
    Sujata Kale-Banerjea
    Certified Nutrition Practitioner
    Metabolic Balance Coach

    Reply

    • Dreena says

      Thanks Sujata, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, spelt is not gluten-free. There *is* a GF version posted in our FB group page, one of my testers tried it and it was successful. Since then, many others have tried it as well. You can check that out if needed. 🙂

      Reply

      • Becca says

        What if we don’t have a Facebook but want to try it gf?? Would a premixed flour work, like gf Pillsbury all purpose flour??

  3. Liz says

    Dreena, I’ve already commented on the supreme deliciousness of this recipe, but I just HAD to come back and voice my praises for this cake once more.

    I made it — again — last night as one of my Christmas desserts for a celebration with my partner’s family. (I must preface the proceeding comment with the note that my partner’s family are typical SAD eaters and eat a lot of mass-produced sweets. Consequently, they have palates that are familiar with and expect large amounts of processed sweeteners, salt and fat.)

    I turned it into a double layer cake (baked in two 6″ cake pans, which made the PERFECT thickness for a mini layer cake and a beautiful presentation with some roasted, chopped hazelnuts on top center — I used roasted hazelnut butter in the frosting again), and though claims of “I’m full”, “I don’t want dessert and “I don’t like chocolate” were thrown around, everyone DEVOURED this. Even my partner’s father, who doesn’t offer up compliments very often and likes to tease me (especially about my plant-based diet) admitted to how good this cake was. With the first bite, his face softened and his eyebrows raised slightly, letting me know how genuinely impressed he was. I felt a little guilty accepting all the praise for this cake. 🙂

    This dessert is SUCH a crowd pleaser and just SO easy to make. You are a GENIUS, and, in my new kitchen, there will be a shrine erected to you. 😀

    Reply

  5. Stephanie says

    Hi there! I was wondering if this could be adapted to make a white cake. Like if I used a white sweet potato and extra sugar in place of the cocoa? Would I still use the balsamic vinegar? Thanks. This really looks delicious but my son can’t have much chocolate and I’m looking to make him a dessert. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Skip to content

Yes, Grab the Free New eBook!