Sweet Potato Cake with Canned Yams

Easy sweet potato cake recipe with canned yams or leftovers is a delicious Thanksgiving dessert moist and delicious baked in the oven. Whether you use frozen or have leftover sweet potato cubes after the holidays to use up this is a winner for after dinner!

Homemade Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

There are many ways to make the main base ingredient. If you have some left over from the night before then you are set. Year round you can find these diced in the frozen section and can be defrosted to make this. Another option is to cook Pressure Cooker Sweet Potatoes which is the fastest way to make the insides tender as possible.

In the past I had made Sweet Potato Muffins with canned yams which were always a hit during the holidays. I figured I should be able to make a larger version that was a little “fancier” but with the same basic flavors. This is just that! Not only does cream cheese frosting make it more than amazing but the candied fruits on top give it a pretty flare.

Yams Cake

Yes technically yams are a different vegetable, but typically they are referred to in the same way since they taste so similar once prepared. Most of the time when you mix with other ingredients you can’t tell the difference.

That is why canned is a great option when you want to make it super easy. Just drain, mash to use as cooked Sweet Potatoes Mashed basically for the first ingredient listed.

What is yam cake made of?

• 2 c mashed sweet potatoes – leftovers or fresh, or use a drained can of yams, or sweet potato puree (similar to pumpkin you see often)
• 3 c cake flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• Nutmeg and ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Vegetable oil and applesauce
• 3/4 c sugar and brown sugar
• Eggs

Optional Add-ins

• 1/2 c pecans chopped, optional
• cream cheese frosting 1 tub or click link for homemade recipe
• Candied pecans chopped
• Dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp sugar

Dried oranges can be made the same way we make dried lemons basically. They can of course be left off or bought online if you like already sugared.

How to Make Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If not using nonstick cake pans, line with parchment paper. Mix flour, spices, salt and baking soda and powder together in a bowl and set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the oil, applesauce and sugars together and whisk.
• Whisk eggs one at a time into the oil and sugar mixture. Add the cooled sweet potatoes and mix. Add one third of the flour at a time and mix until the cake batter is thoroughly combined.
• Stir in the chopped pecans and divide the batter evenly between 2- 9” cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, and beat until smooth.Add orange juice and vanilla and beat until well combined.
• Place the first layer of the cake flat side up in the center of a cake plate. Put small pieces of parchment paper underneath the edge of the cake so frosting doesn’t get on the cake platter.
• Place 3/4 cup of the frosting and spread in an even layer.
• Add the second cake layer, flat side down, making sure it lines up evenly with the first layer. Add the rest of the frosting, going around the sides making an even coating over the entire cake.
• In a small bowl, combine sugar, pecans, cranberries and the chopped orange and mix until they are coated. Using a spoon, scoop up the mix, avoiding the excess sugar and sprinkle across the top of the cake.

Place in the refrigerator and allow to chill for an hour or two until the frosting sets. Allow to come to room temperature before serving and store any leftovers wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

Can you make this with frozen sweet potatoes?

If using frozen cubed sweet potatoes, place in a bowl and microwave for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft. Set on paper towels to dry. Canned yams should be drained and set on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Or use inside from baked fresh sweet potatoes. Mash to a smooth consistency and allow to cool.

Sweet Potato Cake with Cake Mix

Ok now let’s talk about some specifics and more alternatives you have in case you don’t have all the ingredients. You can always add a bit of vanilla extract if you love that flavor. As for the toppings you can use any type of dried fruits and nuts you like. This is just adding some texture, flavor and prettiness to. Another is to make with canned yams and boxed mix like our Cake Mix Sweet Potato Dump Cake.

How to Make Cake Flour with All Purpose Flour

Cake flour is a type of flour that is lower in protein content compared to all-purpose flour, making it ideal for creating tender and delicate cakes. If you don’t have cake flour on hand, you can make a suitable substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Here’s how to make cake flour at home;

It really is quite simple. We do have a flour substitutes chart to look at but basically for every cup of cake flour you need, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons that will be replaced with cornstarch!! You will want to place this mixture into a fine mesh sieve or flour sifter.

Sift several times into a clean bowl to ensure the cornstarch is evenly distributed and incorporated into the flour. Once you’ve made your homemade cake flour, it’s ready to use. If you have any leftovers you can store it in an airtight container for future use. Be sure to label it as “cake flour” to avoid confusion.

Now you have what you need to make this. Remember this has a lower protein content than all purpose which helps create a tender crumb in cakes. It’s a valuable ingredient when you want to achieve a soft and delicate texture in your baked goods.

If you do make quite a few taters you can use them to make other tasty treats like sweet potatoes with cinnamon as a dessert. Sweet potato pie and our muffin recipe above. Ours never go to waste! Now jump to recipe card below and let us know what you think!