Description
This Sweet Potato Cake is moist, perfectly sweet, and infused with warm spices. Then, we add a layer of brown butter orange cream cheese frosting for the perfect finishing touch!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (like avocado oil)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and diced
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with avocado oil or non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined and set aside.
- To another large mixing bowl add the mashed sweet potato, eggs, oil, applesauce, dark brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well combined.
- Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the wet until mixed. Then, pour the batter into the pan, using an offset spatula to spread the batter into an even layer in the pan.
- Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack. Be sure the cake is completely cooled and not warm before adding the frosting.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, cover with the brown butter cream cheese frosting. You can place it in the fridge to help the cream cheese frosting set up a bit. Slice and serve.
Make the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Icing:
- Add the diced butter to a small skillet or pot. Heat the skillet to medium heat. The butter will start to melt as the skillet heats up.
- Allow the butter to bubble and “cook” until it begins to change from a bright yellow color to a golden brown color. Continually stir the butter as you see the foam start to dissipate and brown bits begin to form in the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir the butter until it is a golden brown color and has a nutty aroma.
- Remove the butter from the heat and transfer to a heat safe dish. Transfer to the fridge to refrigerate until cool.
- Next add the cooled butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth and creamy. Next, add the confectioner’s sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat the frosting on low speed for around 30 seconds to incorporate and then increase to high speed. Beat the frosting on high for around 2 minutes until fluffy.
