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!
You’re going to love this cake with sweet potatoes, especially if you love Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with Canned Yams and want to use the same can to make this one too. Tastes the same but makes things easier, and a bit sweeter too! (affiliate links present)
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 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.
What is yam cake made of?
- Mashed sweet potatoes, leftovers or fresh, or use a drained can of yams, or sweet potato puree (similar to pumpkin you see often). We have used this hack to make sweet potato bread and all sorts of other treats.
- You are going to use cake flour to make this. If you only have AP, here a cake flour substitute article to refer to so you can make what’s needed.
- Baking powder will allow it to rise and become fluffy
- Baking soda will as well, make sure you look at the sell by date as that is important and must not be expired.
- 2 tsp cinnamon is the Fall flavor you want with this treat
- 1 tsp ginger dry and bottled is what we used here
- Nutmeg and ground cloves works well with the Fall taste we are going for here
- Vegetable oil and applesauce will add some moisture to make it as moist as possible. Mayonnaise or Greek yogurt are alternatives
- 3/4 c sugar and brown sugar to make sweet are necessary, I imagine you could use a sugar-free alternative
- Eggs should always be added at room temperature with baked goods.
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.
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.
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.
Sweet Potato Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 round cake pan 9"
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 c yams, drained and mashed, or use leftover cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 c cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 1/2 c applesauce
- 3/4 c sugar
- 3/4 c brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 c pecans, chopped, optional
- cream cheese frosting, 1 tub or click link for homemade recipe
- 1/4 c candied pecans, chopped
- 1/4 c dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 c dried oranges, chopped
Instructions
- 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.
- 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 mixuntil the 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 ¾ 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
