Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

This sweet potato chocolate cake is made with pureed sweet potato, and yields a moist and rich chocolate cake! No grains and no dairy needed, no one will believe this cake is made with sweet potato!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (1)

Sweet Potato Cake

When it comes to sweet potato dessert recipes, I love me some fudgy brownies, muffins, and this sweet potato cake.

As we are in the midst of all things fall and autumn, it means one key ingredient- Sweet Potato! To be quite honest, even if it wasn’t peak season right now, I’d find a way to sneak them in. They are one of the most versatile ingredients in my baked goods.

Sweet potatoes add texture, moisture and can often be used to help reduce the overall fat content. In fact, the sweet potato was a fabulous substitution for any butter or excessive oil!

I know many of my friends in the Northern Hemisphere have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up which means one thing- Loads of leftover sweet potato. Never fear- Your leftover sweet potatoes will be transformed into this sweet potato chocolate cake!

Can you taste the sweet potato?

Short answer- No. Not at all. Not even in the slightest.

Again, the sweet potato adds to the texture, NOT the flavor.

For those of you skeptical about having a sweet potato hidden in a dessert, I promise you won’t be able to tell. Mysweet potato brownies are one of my most-made recipes and NO ONE can tell they are in there!

How do you make a sweet potato chocolate cake?

The Ingredients

  • Coconut flour– A low carb and grain free flour, be sure to sift your coconut flour first to ensure no clumps remain.
  • Cocoa powder– Use either dark cocoa powder or a good quality dutch processed cocoa powder.
  • Sweetener of choice– Any granulated sweetener can be used. To keep it grain free and paleo, use coconut sugar. If you have no dietary restrictions, use white or brown sugar.
  • Baking powder– Gives some rise and fluffiness to the cake.
  • Salt– Brings out the natural sweetness of the cake.
  • Sweet potato– Cooked, cooled, and mashed. See my tips below for the best way to puree your sweet potato!
  • Eggs– Room temperature eggs are best. See my tips for making this vegan/without eggs.
  • Coconut oil– Gives the cake the moist texture, without needing any butter!
  • Maple syrup– A refined sugar free sweetener, it gives extra sweetness and moisture to the cake. You can also use agave nectar.
  • Chocolate Frosting– Use your favorite frosting. I’ve used both my healthy frosting and keto frosting for this.

The Instructions

In a high speed blender or food processor, add all your ingredients, except for the frosting, and blend until thick and smooth. Transfer the cake batter into a 9 or 10-inch cake pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 180C/350F, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan completely, before removing and frosting.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (2)

How to cook the sweet potato

  • Microwave– Cut your sweet potatoes into chunks and place them in a microwave safe bowl. Pour 2-3 inches of water and microwave for 6-7 minutes, or until soft and tender.
  • Oven– Cover sweet potatoes in tin foil and bake for 40-50 minutes, until soft and tender.
  • Stovetop– Fill a saucepan with water and heat on medium until it begins to boil. Once boiling, add your sweet potatoes and reduce the heat to low. Let potatoes simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until soft and tender.

Once the sweet potato is cooked, allow it to cool completely, before blending or pureeing until smooth. I use either a stick blender or food processor to puree it.

Can I make this cake without eggs?

For a vegan sweet potato chocolate cake, replace the eggs with formulated egg substitutes, like Bob’s egg replacer.

I haven’t tried this with flax eggs or chia eggs.

Can I make this a keto or lower carb cake?

Yes, if you’d like to make this keto friendly, make the following substitutions-

  • Sweet Potato– Replace this with equal amounts of pumpkin puree.
  • Maple Syrup– Use keto maple syrup.
  • Granulated sweetener– Use either monk fruit sweetener or erythritol.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (3)

Tips to make the best sweet potato cake

  • Do not overbake the cake. Once the toothpick comes out of the cake center clean, it is perfect to remove it. Even if it seems to be a little fragile, the cake continues to cook as it is cooling down.
  • If you don’t mash your own sweet potato, you can use canned sweet potato puree. Ensure that it is of unsweetened variety.
  • The ingredients are enough for 1 single layer cake. If you’d like a two layer or three layer cake, simply double or triple the ingredients, respectively.

Storing and Freezing Cake

  • To store: Store cake in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. I recommend eating the cake within 2 weeks. Any longer and the cake will become even moister.
  • To freeze: Place slices of cake in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (4)

More delicious cakes you’ll enjoy

  • Vanilla Cake
  • Salted Caramel Cake
  • Applesauce Cake
  • Lemon Blueberry Cake
  • Flourless Chocolate Cake

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (5)

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

4.99 from 166 votes

This sweet potato chocolate cake is a moist and rich chocolate cake, topped with a creamy chocolate frosting! No grains and no dairy, you won't believe there is any sweet potato in this!

Servings: 12 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Rate This Recipe

Print

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar of choice white, brown, coconut, or sugar free subs
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups mashed sweet potato 3-4 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 large eggs * or vegan subs
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 9 or 10-inch cake pan and set aside.

  • In a high speed blender or food processor, add all your ingredients and pulse until smooth and combined. Transfer the cake batter into the greased cake pan.

  • Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

  • Allow the cake to cool completely, before frosting it.

Notes

This makes a single layer cake. For a 2 layer or 3 layer cake, double or triple the ingredients.

* I've tried this with Bob's Egg replacer, and it worked very well. I cannot vouch for flax eggs or chia eggs.

TO STORE: Store cake in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. I recommend eating the cake within 2 weeks. Any longer and the cake will become even moister.

TO FREEZE: Place slices of cake in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSodium: 198mgPotassium: 151mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 20g

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman Liew

Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake- The BEST recipe! - The Big Man's World ® (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you put too much chocolate in a cake? ›

If you put too much chocolate in a cake, it might become dry and crumbly. The excess chocolate can absorb the moisture from the cake batter, making it difficult for the cake to rise properly. Additionally, too much chocolate can make the cake quite dense and heavy.

How do you fix a chocolate cake that is too sweet? ›

You can try serving the cake with something a bit sour or bitter to balance the extra sweet, e.g. a bittersweet chocolate ganache (heavy on the bitter), tangy or citrusy fruit compote, or sour cream (sweetened just a little). Dusting the cake with pure unsweetened cocoa may help a bit too.

How do you add sweetness to a baked cake? ›

Typically people would cut a cake in half and apply a simple syrup (usually made with sugar and water) to keep the cake moist and occasionally add flavour if it lacks any. Icing - Royal, buttercream, ganache and more. These are your typical icing that you can add to the cake. They usually contain a lot of sugar.

What is the healthiest way to eat sweet potatoes? ›

Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.

What does too much egg do to a cake? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

What happens if you eat chocolate cake everyday? ›

You would have a higher chance of getting Diabetes type 2. You will most likely gain weight if eating the whole cake is on top of your regular diet, because a whole cake has many unnecessary calories. You are at higher risk of heart problems, like strokes or heart disease.

What happens if you forget to put sugar in the cake? ›

But if you forgot the sugar in this step, all is not lost. Martina shares: “You can add the sugar in at any point during mixing. The resulting cake will still taste great but be slightly dense from the lack of air bubbles.” That may not be a bad thing, though.

What happens if you don't put sugar in a cake? ›

Sugar helps cakes stay moist after baking. A completely sugar-free cake will dry out quickly, so wrap cooled cakes in cling film to prevent moisture loss.

How do you intensify chocolate flavor in a cake? ›

There's a simple trick to making chocolate desserts taste even better. Sure, cocoa powder and chopped chocolate give anything a rich, chocolate flavor. But if you want that flavor to be more complex and intense, add a little coffee to the recipe.

What do bakers squirt on cakes before icing? ›

This Simple Syrup Recipe is a baker's secret weapon that can be used on cakes, cupcakes, cookies (on rare occasions), and even in my co*cktails! The recipe for simple syrup is easy and can be modified in many ways. And, all you need is water and sugar to make this sweetener.

What do bakers put on cake to keep it moist? ›

Simple syrups are essential to cake preparation because they make cakes appear good and taste delicious and moist. Bakers usually mix equal amounts of water and sugar and boil the liquid until the sugar melts to form a simple syrup.

What can I add to my cake to make it taste better? ›

Enhance With Extracts

Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract are great options, but you could also try lemon extract or orange extract paired with fresh citrus zest. Although more expensive, vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla beans will provide even richer flavor to a boxed mix.

Can diabetics eat sweet potatoes everyday? ›

You can still eat sweet potatoes if you have diabetes, assures Huff. The fiber content in sweet potatoes, especially if you consume them with the skin on, can help reduce spikes in your blood sugar. Plus, how you cook your sweet potatoes can also help reduce the extent to which your blood sugar rises.

What part of the body are sweet potatoes good for? ›

Just one sweet potato gives you 102% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body's defense against germs. It's also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.

Should you boil sweet potatoes before baking? ›

In other words… do sweet potatoes need parboiling before roasting? Absolutely not. While many might choose to parboil the sweet potatoes before cooking for a shorter cooking time, we advise against it. Roasting sweet potatoes bring out their caramelized flavor yet leave the inside soft and custardy.

How do you counteract too much chocolate? ›

Drink some water, it might help the craving as well. If you still feel the need to eat chocolate, try some dried fruits or nuts instead. Or some fresh fruit. Or vegetables and hummus.

What happens if you put too much cocoa powder? ›

Eating large amounts might cause caffeine-related side effects such as nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and a fast heartbeat. Cocoa can cause allergic skin reactions and might also trigger migraine headaches. It can also cause nausea, stomach discomfort, constipation, and gas.

What to do if you added too much cocoa powder? ›

If we're talking about a tablespoon or two, I'd add a little more sugar, bake them and tell everyone they are double chocolate brownies. They should taste good. If you accidentally added an extra cup or two, then do a recipe conversion based on the amount you added divided by the amount called for in the recipe.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Chrissy Homenick

Last Updated:

Views: 6022

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Chrissy Homenick

Birthday: 2001-10-22

Address: 611 Kuhn Oval, Feltonbury, NY 02783-3818

Phone: +96619177651654

Job: Mining Representative

Hobby: amateur radio, Sculling, Knife making, Gardening, Watching movies, Gunsmithing, Video gaming

Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.