This beautiful sweet potato spice cake with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting is the perfect fall layer cake! It’s light and tender, but full of flavor.

Sweet potato spice cake on a cake stand

If you’re generally not a fan of spice cakes, get ready for this one to change your mind! (Because it definitely made a convert out of me.) It’s soft and moist, with a subtle sweetness from the sweet potato and a hint of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The ultra-rich and creamy cream cheese frosting will always be my favorite part, though, and together the cake and frosting make a fabulous pair.

I love how this sweet potato spice cake feels so much like fall, and it would be a perfect dessert for any fall party and even a great alternative to Thanksgiving pie. But really, you can make it year-round!

A slice of sweet potato spice cake

How to roast whole sweet potatoes for baking

It’s easy to do! Simply wash whole sweet potatoes and poke with a fork (this gives steam a place to go). Then place on a sheet pan and roast in a 400°F oven until tender, about 45-60 minutes. Wait until they’re not too hot to handle, then peel away the skin and mash the soft sweet potato flesh until smooth.

How to make this sweet potato spice cake

  1. Prepare cake batter. Beat butter and sugar till creamy, then add the sweet potato, eggs and vanilla. Finally, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk and mix to make a smooth batter. 
  2. Bake cakes. Pour the batter into prepped cake pans and bake in a 350°F and bake until the tops of the cake spring back when gently pressed, about 30 minutes.
  3. Make the frosting. While the cakes cool, make the frosting by beating all ingredients until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl once or twice so it’s super smooth!
  4. Assemble the cake and decorate as you like. (Make sure cakes are completely cool first) Stack cake layers on a cake stand or plate, covering each layer with about 1 cup of frosting. Add candied nuts if you like, keep reading for more ideas to dress up this cake.
Sweet potato spice cake on a cake stand

baking tip:How to cut a cake into even layers

For a more dramatic presentation, you can cut 2 (or more) baked cake layers in half to create more layers and a taller cake. There are several ways to do this, but this method is my favorite and it requires no special tools!
  1. Chill cake layers completely in the fridge before slicing.
  2. Use a small paring knife to score the outside edge of the cake halfway up the side. Get down at eye level if necessary.
  3. Use a large serrated knife to slice through the cake horizontally, using the scored line as a guide. Go slow, there’s no need to rush.
  4. Lift the top half of the cake up with the help of the serrated knife.
  5. Use cake layers immediately, or return to the fridge until ready to assemble.
For more help and photos, see my full post on how to cut a cake into even layers.
More Baking Tips »

Ways to dress up this cake even more

Add candied pecans on top and in between cake layers. Or top with a drizzle of caramel sauce. (You can spread it all of the whole cake and watch it drip down the sides, or add to individual slices while serving.)

A slice of sweet potato spice cake on a plate with a fork

Tips for baking the perfect layer cake

  • If you’re new to baking layer cakes or need a little help, be sure to check out my complete guide for how to build a layer cake. It’s got everything you need to know!
  • You can use either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. (These are the pans I have and love.) 8-inch pans will yield a taller cake, 9-inch will yield one that’s wider. I baked this cake with two 8-inch pans and then sliced them in half to make 4 layers.
  • Do your cakes tend to stick inside the pan? See how I prepare my cake pans so they come out clean every single time.
  • Always start with room temperature dairy and eggs. Pull the butter, buttermilk and eggs from the fridge 30-60 minutes before you plan to bake. This helps cakes have the best rise and softest texture (more info on why room temperature ingredients matter here).

More fall cakes

Sweet potato spice cake on a cake stand

Sweet Potato Spice Cake

Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
A fall spice cake made with sweet potato and frosted with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients
 

Spice cake:

  • 1 (240 grams) large sweet potato
  • 3 cups (360 grams) cake flour (360 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon  baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 cups (430 grams) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup (140 grams) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cup (284 grams) whole milk

Cream cheese buttercream:

  • 10 ounces (285 grams) cream cheese , at room temperature
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1  tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2  tablespoons milk or cream
  • Pecans or candied pecans , chopped (optional garnish)

Equipment

two round cake pans
8-inch cake pans
offset spatula
Offset spatula
teal kitchen mixer
Electric mixer

Instructions
 

To make the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potato with a fork, and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the potato is soft. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Peel off skin and remove any dark spots. Put into a food processor and puree until smooth or mash with a vegetable masher. Measure one cup of puree for this recipe.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans lined with parchment paper on the bottoms.
  • In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves. and salt and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix on medium high speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potato puree and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
  • Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk, ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
  • Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 30-40 minutes (time varies based on which size cake pan you use). Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix on low until combined, then increase speed to high and beat until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes.

To assemble the cake:

  • Optional: Split cake layers in half, making 4 cake layers total (This step only works for 8-inch cake, 9-inch cakes will be too thin).
  • Stack the layers of cake on a cake stand or plate, spreading approximately 1 cup frosting in between each layer. Top with remaining frosting.
  • Chill until ready to serve. This cake should be stored in the fridge and consumed within a few days.

Notes

  • The frosting recipe makes enough frosting to fill and cover 2 cake layers, but if you split the 2 layers to make 4 total, you may only have enough frosting to fill and top the cake (but not enough to cover the sides). If you’d like to cover the entire 4-layer cake with frosting, consider doubling the recipe.
Adapted from Sky High Cakes.
Calories: 684kcal, Carbohydrates: 104g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 232mg, Potassium: 336mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 78g, Vitamin A: 2467IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise Sandberg
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Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

This recipe was originally published in October 2011. Photos have been updated.