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.
cHERYL says
Because my oven is on the fritz, I’m wondering if this could be made in an Instant Pot? I’ve make a cake it it once before and it wasn’t bad – anyone have any ideas using this recipe?
Dreena says
I haven’t tried baking in the Instant Pot, so I have no idea whether it would work – sorry!
Molly says
Whoa! You can make cake in an IP? I’ve been pondering the acquisition. Is there anything this appliance can’t do?
Andrea says
I have four children and I am always looking for better desserts that they can have. I made this cake and frosting today and it was a big hit. I stuck to the recipe and it turned out wonderfully. Thanks for the great recipe and a good way to get my kids to eat sweet potato.
Pam says
Tried your cake and frosting today. OMGosh!!! Definitely will be my go-to chocolate cake from now on. Thank you for sharing.
Nancy says
I made this yesterday and it was good. For the flour, I ground some hard white grain into flour and had success with the cake moisture and texture. I also made the frosting, but used peanut butter since that is what I had on hand. I doubled both recipes and the frosting doubled made way too much (bit then, I am not a frosting person and do not like to used a lot).
I have the grandkids coming over today ~ so the true test of whether this cake is a keeper or not is yet to come. If I make it again, I think I will cut back on the sugar even more (I used the lesser amount) I want to retrain my tastebuds to not care for sweet as much.
I will say this cake tasted better when it sat for a bit rather than when eaten soon after cooled. Thank you for a great recipe.
Jamie says
I left a post, but it didn’t say it went through, and I had a “hiccup” on my screen. so if this is a double you can just delete whichever one you don’t want. Sorry about that :/ I was strolling through Pintrest looking for a recipe I could use for the leftover baked sweet potato from the night before. I was a little skeptical when I saw sweet potato and balsamic vinegar mixed with chocolate. I decided to try it anyways. It is an awesome recipe! A big hit with my entire family! We will be making this again. 🙂 The cake was amazingly moist! Loved it!I made the icing with peanut butter because I didn’t have the almond or cashew butter and it was a bit too nutty for me. Now I know why you should use cashew or almond, lol..if you like Reese’s than peanut butter works! Plus, I didn’t have coconut sugar. I used sugar cane sugar instead. It worked for the cake but didn’t work for the icing. Made it too grainy. Could I used confectioner’s sugar if I don’t have coconut? Thanks again!!