Sweet Potato Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
This time of year, there seems to be an abundance of half-rotten sweet potatoes on everyone’s kitchen counter. This cake was inspired by the need to use up a few of those that had been sitting in my fruit basket for far too long…
One thing about me, I love sweets. For as long as I can remember, baking has always brought me so much joy. Something about it is so therapeutic, almost meditative. As I’ve gotten older, I still love baking, but my sweet tooth has become less sweet as I am more mindful about how the food I am consuming makes me feel. I realize, unfortunately, sugar just doesn’t make me feel good. But that’s okay, because like other things in life that don’t serve us — alcohol, staying up too late etc. — partaking in these indulgences can still be a very necessary and important part of life.
I take this mindset with me around holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. However, on a day-to-day basis, I’d rather eat sweets that don’t make me feel crummy…wouldn’t you? Especially as I prepare my body for pregnancy.
This Sweet Potato Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting satisfies my matured sweet tooth in all the right ways. It’s warming, moist, sweet — but not too sweet. Perfect for dessert or a holiday breakfast treat!
In regard to fertility boosting benefits, the cake and frosting are completely sweetened with maple syrup. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, maple syrup will still impact blood sugar, but it also contains antioxidants and minerals that make it more nutritious than traditional table sugar. Plus, the entire cake with frosting only has 1/2 cup + 4 tbsp of maple syrup! For comparison, a traditional cake with frosting often has 4-5 cups of sugar, or more.
It’s also naturally gluten-free, as it’s made with almond flour. Almond flour is very low in carbohydrates, but higher in healthy fat so it balances out the maple syrup perfectly.
This frosting does contain dairy but could easily be made dairy free if you swap the butter and cream cheese for non-dairy options! If you try it, share a photo on Instagram or Substack and be sure to tag me so I can see how it comes out!
Sweet Potato Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
3 eggs
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 cup sweet potato puree
You could also use canned pumpkin or squash
¼ cup avocado oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 cups almond flour
⅓ cup tapioca flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp butter (or butter alternative) for greasing the bundt cake pan
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. softened cream cheese
4 tbsp softened butter
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange juice
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously grease a 10-inch bundt cake pan with the 2 tbsp of butter (I’m talking every nook and cranny — you don’t want this cake to stick!). Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sweet potato puree, maple syrup and avocado oil until well combined. Add vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg and continue whisking until smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift the almond flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Then combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula. Stir until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.
Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan and place into the preheated oven for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean without crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.
While the cake cools, make the frosting. Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Next, add the maple syrup, salt, vanilla and orange juice and continue to whisk until creamy.
Run a knife around the perimeter of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Then, invert the pan onto a serving plate and bang the bottom of the pan to loosen the cake even more so it can come out gently.
**It’s okay if some breaks off during this process! Just put the broken pieces back together…it will still taste delicious, and the frosting will cover any mistakes :)**
While the cake is still warm, apply the frosting generously to the top of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
