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This sweet potato cake is a tender, spiced two-layer cake made with mashed sweet potato and buttermilk, covered in brown butter cream cheese frosting. It tastes like sweet potato pie turned into a soft, fluffy cake.
The sweet potato keeps the crumb moist for days, and the allspice, cinnamon and ginger make the whole kitchen smell like the holidays.
The frosting is the part people ask about. Browning the butter first gives it a nutty, almost caramel flavor that plain cream cheese frosting does not have.
What Goes Into Sweet Potato Cake
- Sweet potatoes. Two cups, cooked, mashed and cooled.
- Buttermilk. It keeps the cake tender and adds a little tang.
- Warm spices. Allspice, cinnamon and ginger.
- Butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Creamed together for a light, fluffy crumb.
- Brown butter cream cheese frosting. Browned butter, full-fat block cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.
- Two 8-inch cake pans. Grease and flour them, or line the bottoms with parchment.
How to Make It
Prep. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 8-inch pans.
Mix the batter. Cream the butter and sugars, add the eggs and sweet potato, then the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately.
Bake and cool. 35 to 40 minutes, then cool completely.
Brown the butter. Cook until the milk solids are golden and nutty, then chill until it is soft like room-temperature butter.
Make the frosting. Whip the brown butter, add the powdered sugar, then beat in the cream cheese just until smooth.
Assemble. Frost between the layers, then the top and sides. Chill until set.
Tips
- Use block cream cheese. The tub kind makes a runny frosting.
- Chill the brown butter. It must be solid but soft, or the frosting will not whip.
- Do not overbeat the cream cheese. Beat just until smooth so the frosting holds.
- Cool the layers completely. Warm cake melts the frosting.
Make Ahead and Storage
Bake the layers up to 2 days ahead and keep them wrapped at room temperature, or freeze them up to 1 month. Keep the frosted cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it soften slightly before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned sweet potato?
Yes. Use plain canned sweet potato puree, not pie filling.
Can I make it as a sheet cake?
Yes. Bake in a 9-by-13-inch pan for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Do I have to brown the butter?
You can use plain softened butter, but the brown butter is what makes it special.
More for the Holiday Table
Holiday Recipes
Candied Yams with Marshmallows
Side Dishes
Cornbread Dressing
Holiday Recipes
Roasted Cajun Turkey Recipe
Dessert
Honey Butter Cornbread
Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups sweet potato cooked, mashed and cooled
- 1 cup buttermilk
Brown butter cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, measured before browning
- 16 oz full-fat block cream cheese softened but still cool
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Milk only if needed 2 tablespoons at a time, up to 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Prep. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch pans, or line with parchment.
- Mix the dry. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together.
- Mix the wet. Beat the butter with both sugars until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs one at a time, then blend in the sweet potato.
- Combine and bake. Add the dry mixture and buttermilk alternately, starting and finishing with dry, mixing just until combined. Divide between the pans and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto racks and cool completely.
- Brown the butter. Melt the frosting butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the milk solids are golden and nutty. Pour into a bowl with the browned bits and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until opaque and soft like softened butter.
- Make the frosting. Beat the brown butter 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Mix in the powdered sugar on low, then the vanilla and salt. Add the cream cheese in chunks and beat just until smooth; don’t overbeat. Add milk only if it’s too stiff.
- Assemble. Spread frosting between the cooled layers, then over the top and sides. Chill until set before cutting.
