Name: Sweet Potato Spice Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes; 1.333 cups brown sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 3 eggs; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2.5 teaspoons baking powder; 0.5 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 0.125 tsp ground nutmeg; 0.125 tsp ground cloves; 0.125 tsp kosher salt; 1 orange; 2 ounces full fat cream cheese; 1 oz unsalted butter; 1.25 cups powdered sugar; 0.25 orange; 0.25 cup pecans

This incredibly moist and rich Sweet Potato Spice Cake is full of cozy spices and covered with a layer of decadent orange flavored cream cheese frosting. It’s make-ahead friendly and perfect for Fall gatherings or weekend baking!

Dessert

2 h 30 m

American

Project Meal Plan

June 10, 2026

Projectmealplan.com

From the Cook

1/5

Sweet Potato Spice Cake

Project Meal Plan Verified

Projectmealplan.com

Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Sweet Potato Spice Cake

Spice Cake

2 sweet potatoesfor 1 1/2 cups mashed

1 ⅓ cups brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

⅛ tsp ground cloves

⅛ tsp kosher salt

1 orangezest, divided

Frosting

2 ounces full fat cream cheeseat room temperature

1 oz unsalted butterat room temperature

1 ¼ cups powdered sugarsifted

¼ orangezest

¼ cup pecanstoasted

Instructions

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Instructions

Bake the potatoes: Preheat the oven 400F. Line a small baking tray with foil. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes (2 small-medium) so steam can escape. Optional for flavor: coat the sweet potatoes in a thin layer of olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes on the baking tray and bake for about 45 minutes, or until juices are bubbling from the holes and you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork.

Mash the potatoes: Carefully remove the skins and place the cooked potatoes into a bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to briefly mash the potatoes so that you can measure out 1 1/2 cups for the cake batter. Any leftover sweet potato can be enjoyed with some brown sugar or mixed into yogurt.

Prep baking tin: Reduce the oven temperature to 325F. Grease an 8×8 inch deep square metal baking dish with butter or prep it with cooking spray. Line the bottom with a square of baking parchment.

Make the batter: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the mashed sweet potato (1 1/2 cups), brown sugar (1 1/3 cups), vegetable oil (1 cup) and eggs (3). Set aside. In another small bowl, whisk together the flour (1 cup), baking powder (2 1/2 teaspoons), baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), the spices (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves), and salt (1/8 teaspoon). Pour the dry mixture into the wet, and whisk until combined. Whisk in 3/4 of the orange zest.

Bake the cake: Scrape the batter into the prepared baking tin and level the top with a rubber spatula. Drop the tin down on the countertop several times to knock out any large air bubbles. Bake for 45-55 minutes until the center does not jiggle and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake: Leave the cake to cool for about 15 minutes until the tin is cool enough to handle. The cake should have pulled back from the tin a little around the edges: if this has not happened in places, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to release it from the tin before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting: Using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese (4 tablespoons) and butter (2 tablespoons) until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar (1 1/4 cups) until you have a spreadable frosting. Beat in the remaining orange zest.

Frost the cake: Once the cake is completely cool, remove the paper and transfer to a flat serving dish. Using an offset spatula, spread and swirl the frosting across the top of the cake. Sprinkle over the chopped pecans (1/4 cup), cut and serve. Store leftover cake covered on the counter for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Sweet Potato Preparation 🥔
Bake or microwave sweet potatoes until very tender, then purée smoothly to remove any fibrous strands that can create an uneven crumb texture in your final cake.
Oil and Butter Balance 🧈
Using both vegetable oil and butter creates the perfect moisture level—the oil keeps the cake incredibly tender while butter adds rich flavor that keeps it tasting homemade.
Spice Blooming Technique ✨
Add your ground spices to the dry ingredients first, then let them sit for 2-3 minutes after mixing with wet ingredients to bloom and release their full aromatic potential.
Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting 🍊
Add fresh orange zest directly to room-temperature cream cheese before beating to infuse maximum citrus flavor throughout, and use the juice sparingly to avoid making the frosting too thin.
Make-Ahead Cooling Strategy ⏰
Completely cool the cake layers and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap 24 hours before frosting—this allows the flavors to set and makes the cake less crumbly for cleaner frosting application.