Sweet Potato Pound Cake Recipe (Plus VIDEO)

For decadent, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, nothing delivers like sweet potato pound cake. Sweet potatoes are perfect for holiday dinners and everyday meals. However, they’re even better for dessert; pure comfort on a fork.

 

Now for the leftover sweet potato challenge with the perfect solution for you. This recipe for a sweet potato pound cake is a sure favorite. So fluffy, moist, and deliciously sweet, this is a pound cake like no other!

You guys already know how much I love pound cake. Just put it in the search bar and see how many recipes come up. Pound cakes are the easiest cakes out there and always end up beautiful. Charming simplicity!

At the same time, pound cakes offer a blank canvas for creativity — with a bit of imagination, you can turn them into fantastic new treats! In this case, a sweet potato pound cake, you read that right!

Why Sweet Potatoes Work for Pound Cake

Pound cake is all about the right ingredients in the correct proportions. There was a time when people made theirs with precisely a pound of butter, a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, and a dozen eggs. That is easy to remember, right? Add creamy sweet potato puree to the mix, and you have a dessert to die for.

How to Make a Sweet Potato Pound Cake

1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. (Photo 1)
2. Cream the butter and the granulated and brown sugar until it’s fluffy and starting to look white (4-5 minutes).
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Then, add eggs one at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. Add mashed sweet potatoes, followed by the flour mixture a little at a time. (Photo 2-5)

1. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and stir well, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as you go. (Photo 6-7)
2. Pour the mixture into a greased cake pan. Lightly tap the tube pan on the countertop to eliminate large air bubbles. (Photo 8-9)

1. Bake in a preheated 300℉ (150℃) oven until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 minutes, more or less. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack. (Photo 10)
2. Caramel glaze: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low, then stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer it to a container to cool.
3. Frosting: Gradually stir the vanilla extract and caramel sauce into the powdered sugar until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. (Add a little milk if the frosting gets too thick.) Then drizzle on the cake, slice, and serve.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Divide the batter into a muffin pan instead of a cake pan. Reduce the baking time by 10 minutes. These are the most drool-worthy muffins you’ll ever try.
• Or pour your pound cake batter into a 9×13-inch baking pan and slice it into bars. Store them in the fridge for a fantastic grab-and-go snack.
• Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick. It should come out clean. However, keep in mind this pound cake is pretty moist — that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s undercooked.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

As with most pound cakes, this one is better the next day. Store it in an airtight container or a covered cake plate at room temperature. The cake will last for a couple of days (if it’s not eaten first).

There’s no need to reheat this pound cake, but if you want to enjoy it nice and warm, you can toast the slices on a baking tray in a preheated 350℉ (176℃) oven for about 5 minutes. 

What Goes With a Sweet Potato Pound Cake

This lively sweet potato pound cake recipe is the perfect dessert after an Instant Pot turkey breast, ground beef casserole, or other hearty dishes.

You’ll also enjoy a slice of this sweet potato pound cake with a side of rum raisin pineapple ice cream or a pumpkin spice latte.

More Decadent Pound Cake Recipes to Try

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.