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5 from 5 votes

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

By Britney Brown-Chamberlain
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 15
sweet potato pound cake on a serving plate topped with buttermilk syrup and cream cheese frosting.
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Sweet Potato Pound Cake is a warm, spiced dessert that's perfect for fall and winter. It's rich, moist, drizzled with a homemade buttermilk syrup, and topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting.

Equipment

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Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 cup (340 g) Sweet Potato Puree, (roasted, not canned - about 2 medium sweet potatoes *see notes)
  • 3/4 cup (168 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (112 g) Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
  • 3/4 cup (155 g) Brown Sugar
  • 5 large (250 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) Maple Syrup
  • 2 tsp (10 g) Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream , (room temperature)
  • 3 cups (375 g) All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp (4 g) Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp (2 g) Baking Soda
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt

Buttermilk Syrup

  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup Salted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Corn Syrup, (you can also use honey)
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/2 cup Salted Butter, (room temperature)
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
  • 8 oz Cream Cheese, (cold)
  • 1/4 cup Pecans, (chopped, for garnish - optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wash and dry 3 medium sized sweet potato and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Poke holes into the sweet potatoes and bake for 35-45 minutes, until fork tender/soft. Allow them to cool completely, then remove skin. Place into a food processor and blend until smooth. Shut the oven off while the sweet potatoes cool. It’ll take about 30-40 mins. (this can be done up to 3 days in advance)
  • When you're ready to make the cake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the sweet potato puree for the cake - there may be leftovers, save for another use. Add puree to medium bowl and add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix until smooth and set aside, ensure that there are no clumps. 1 1/2 cup Sweet Potato Puree 2 tbsp Maple Syrup 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl - all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, and kosher salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside. 3 cups All Purpose Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 2 tsp Cinnamon 3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix on medium speed for 5-6 minutes, until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl midway through. 3/4 cup Salted Butter 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil 1 cup Sugar 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • Reduce mixer speed to low and begin adding eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after adding the eggs and continue to mix for about 1 minute on low speed to ensure everything is mixed well. The batter may break a bit, this is completely normal and will come back together once all of the dry ingredients are added. 5 large Eggs
  • Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined, about 20 seconds. Add all of the sweet potato mixture and scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until smooth, ensuring everything is fully incorporated. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, ensuring everything is fully mixed together.
  • Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray or grease and flour liberally. Add the batter and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • While the cake is baking, make the buttermilk syrup. In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter, then add brown sugar, baking soda, corn syrup, and buttermilk. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil (it’ll become very bubbly, just keep stirring) and boil for about 5-6 minutes, until the color turns deeply golden. Remove from heat and allow any bubbles to settle, then add vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt. Set aside to cool. 1/4 cup Salted Butter 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tbsp Corn Syrup 1/4 cup Buttermilk 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Now make the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until it looks pale, fluffy, and slightly whipped. If you’re using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. 1/2 cup Salted Butter
  • Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, letting each batch fully disappear into the butter before adding the next. The mixture will look thick and a little crumbly at first, but keep mixing, it will come together into a smooth, creamy base. 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and maple syrup and mix on medium speed just until the frosting is smooth, then add cold cream cheese and continue to mix until creamy, and spreadable. You’re looking for a silky texture with no streaks of cream cheese, but don’t let the mixer run too long, about 1 minute. Overmixing cream cheese frosting can make it loose and soupy. 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 tsp Cinnamon 2 tbsp Maple Syrup 8 oz Cream Cheese
  • Now assemble the cake. Once the cake has cooled completely, add a drizzle of the buttermilk syrup on top of the cake (use about half). Note: if it’s thickened, microwave for about 5-10 seconds until it’s pourable).
  • Add cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe the frosting on top of the cake (you can also dollop onto the cake with a spoon). Top with chopped pecans and drizzle with the remaining buttermilk syrup. 1/4 cup Pecans

Video

Notes

  • Bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time. I like to bake the sweet potatoes the day before to save time. Whatever you do, make sure they’re fully cooled before adding them to the batter. This prevents it from becoming too loose.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. After adding the flour, mix just until combined to keep the cake tender and avoid a dense texture.
  • Use fresh spices. For the best flavor, make sure your spices are fresh. Older spices can lose their potency and won’t provide the same warmth and depth.

Nutrition

Calories: 657kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 498mg, Potassium: 273mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 54g, Vitamin A: 6298IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 99mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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