The Best Southern Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Introduction
The Best Southern Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a classic dessert that embodies the heart and soul of Southern baking. Tender, flavorful sweet potatoes give this cake its signature moist texture and natural sweetness, while a smooth cream cheese frosting provides the perfect tangy contrast. This showstopper cake is ideal for holiday tables, celebrations, or any time you want to share a comforting, crowd-pleasing dessert.
Why This Southern Sweet Potato Cake Stands Out
Few cakes capture homey nostalgia and irresistible flavor as well as Southern sweet potato cake. The secret is simple: roasted sweet potatoes lend a rich flavor and soft crumb, and the cream cheese frosting adds a luscious finish. Spices like cinnamon and nutmeg create warmth in every bite—making this cake not just delicious, but unforgettable.
How to Make the Silkiest Cream Cheese Frosting
The key to dreamy cream cheese frosting is starting with softened (not melted) cream cheese and butter. Beat them together until completely smooth, then slowly add powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla. For an extra dimension, consider mixing in a hint of orange zest or maple syrup, which complement the cake’s flavors beautifully.
Building a Moist and Flavorful Sweet Potato Cake
To maximize flavor, bake whole sweet potatoes until fork-tender, then mash and let cool. Mixing the mashed sweet potatoes into the batter ensures a cake that’s both moist and delicately sweet. Don’t skip the buttermilk—its acidity keeps the crumb tender and the flavor well-balanced. Chopped pecans or toasted coconut can be added to the batter for southern flair.
Perfect for Any Occasion
Serve slices of this cake at Thanksgiving or family reunions—it’s always a crowd favorite. For a striking presentation, top with toasted pecans, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or thin curls of sweet potato. Pair with hot coffee or sweet tea for a truly Southern treat.
Nutritional Information and Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 generous slices. Each slice contains approximately 420-480 calories, depending on how much frosting is used. It’s a special-occasion dessert, perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Ingredients
💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list with all ingredients sorted by store section—perfect for efficient grocery trips and meal planning.
Instructions
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork, place on a baking sheet, and bake until very tender (about 45–60 minutes). Cool, peel, and mash until smooth. Measure out 1 cup.
- Make Cake Batter: Lower oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Combine and Bake: Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined. Fold in pecans or coconut if using. Divide batter between pans. Bake 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, and any optional orange zest or maple syrup. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Assemble Cake: Place one cake layer on a platter and spread with frosting. Top with second layer and frost top and sides. Decorate with pecans, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or sweet potato curls as desired.
Weekly Meal Planning
Homemade cake makes a delightful treat to brighten up your week or cap off special meals. Save and schedule this recipe to your meal plan for seamless preparation and grocery shopping.
Planning Benefits:
- Merge ingredient quantities across all your planned recipes for accuracy
- Organize your shopping list by grocery store sections
- Avoid missing ingredients or duplicate purchases
- Simplify planning for holidays and entertaining
Pro tip: When you add this cake to your plan, schedule it next to savory meals that also use eggs or buttermilk—CookifyAI will add it all up for a single, tidy list!
Cook and Prep Times
Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus time to bake and cool sweet potatoes)
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including cooling and assembly steps)
