So I know you're probably here because you're wondering what kind of cake is made with sweet potato and chocolate pudding... right? Well, I'll tell you -- a perfectly scrumptious gluten-free vegan sweet potato cake with chocolate pudding frosting to enjoy on a cozy autumn night in! I'm not sure why, but I just knew that my pudding would taste delicious as a frosting on this cake, and it is :) -- it's all soft and gooey in all the right ways, and it absorbs into cake in the center quite nicely if you layer your cake.
The sweet potato and spices make the cake taste like fall. And don't worry, nobody will know there's any vegetable hiding in it, I promise ;) . No one has ever guessed the secret ingredient amongst the friends and family I've shared it with, and everyone has been completely surprised to find it's sweet potato and just how much of it is in there! I'd say that's a definite pass on that front ;) .
Note: I like to make a smaller cake with this recipe as I find that it dries out the longer it stays in the fridge (though it keeps well for a few days and freezes well too). I made it a 2 layer 6" cake this time around, but I typically make it as a simple single layer larger cake (it looks really pretty like that too and is personally my favorite way to eat it). It works really well as frosted muffins too. So take your pick as to size and shape and follow my lead... ;)
Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Pudding Frosting
A perfectly scrumptious gluten-free vegan sweet potato cake with chocolate pudding frosting, made without dairy or eggs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 2 layer 6″ cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Pudding Frosting:
- ¾ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked overnight or at least for a few hours (or if in a hurry, cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple butter (I used my DIY apple butter recipe, but store-bought would work fine too)
- ¼ cup sweet potato puree
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups sweet potato puree (I used most of a 15oz can for this recipe with the rest going into the frosting. Some freshly baked and mashed sweet potato would work well too)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (or any other cooking oil)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (or a liquid sweetener of your choice)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tbsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp allspice
- ⅛ tsp cloves
- 1/16 tsp nutmeg
- dash of salt
- 1 cup all purpose gluten-free flour mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill. Alternatively, you can use ¾ cup rice flour + ¼ cup potato or tapioca starch)
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp GF baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp guar gum
Optional Toppings:
- Some chocolate coated amaranth or quinoa balls (I got some really amazing dairy-free ones at my local health food shop)
- Some cacao nibs (highly recommended!)
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the frosting first. I know it’s unusual, but it works better when it’s chilled a little. To make the chocolate pudding frosting follow the directions outlined in my “Secret Ingredient” Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Paleo Chocolate Pudding recipe. Then place the pudding in the fridge to chill while working on the cake part.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Oil your cake pan(s) and line the bottom with parchment paper (I used two 6″ pans — see notes above ingredients for other options). Set aside.
- Place sweet potato puree, oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, spices, and salt into a large mixing bowl and blend together using an immersion blender. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, blend these ingredients together in a blender and then transfer into a mixing bowl).
- Add in all remaining cake ingredients, except for the add-ins and extra pumpkin seeds, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Divide the mixture between your two cake pans and smooth out. Gently tap the pans on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes (or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry). Remove from oven and chill on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then carefully take out of the pans and continue to chill on a cooling rack until the cakes are completely cooled off.
- {Skip this step if making a single layer cake or muffins} Once the cake is cooled completely, if you’re making a 2 layer cake (as pictured), carefully cut off the domed top from one of the cake layers (the one that will be going on the bottom).
- Frost the cake using the chilled frosting and place back in the fridge for at least an hour for the frosting to set. Decorate to your liking and enjoy with a nice cup of joe or some DIY spiced pumpkin seed milk ;)
Patricia says
Hello Audrey!
I would like to make this cake for my father-in-law's birthday but he requested a chocolate cake. Would it be possible to add unsweetened chocolate powder to the cake mix without messing up the consistency of the cake? Should I remove something else? I was also planning on using wholewheat/spelt and plain flour.
Thank you in advance.
The Real Person!
Hi Patricia, hmm... you know, adding cocoa powder can dry out the cake consistency. So it might require more liquids in it, but you'll have to play around to get the right amount. The flour substitution isn't an issue though.
It might be easier to do a different chocolate cake maybe? I have lots on the blog, see if any of these might work for your father-in-law:
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/gf-vegan-chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/gluten-free-eggless-chocolate-carrot-cake/
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/duncan-hines-style-chocolate-cake-gluten-free-vegan-refined-sugar-free/
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/gluten-free-vegan-texas-sheet-cake/
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/gluten-free-vegan-chocolate-persimmon-bundt-cake-refined-sugar-free/
Robyn Bray says
I've subbed dry cocoa in place of flour before. Since you add baking soda & baking powder, it can still rise.
The Real Person!
Cool, thanks for sharing, Robyn.
Robyn Bray says
As you say dries out in 3-4 days, try adding a packet of unflavored gelatin with the dry ingredients (unless you are vegan.) In my gluten free baking this has produced cakes that seem to get moister day by day. I'm no Betty Crocker but my experiments sometimes yield good results. 😊
Emma says
hi, can I use normal flour in place of the gluten free? would I use plain or self raising?
thanks.
Emma.
The Real Person!
Hi Emma. You can give regular all purpose flour a try here, since my gf mix mimics that. Enjoy! :)
Kay in Dallas says
Made this into 12 cupcakes, baked for 20 minutes in a convection oven. Did not rise a lot, but the cupcakes were tasty and had a nice moist texture.
The Real Person!
Hi Kay, thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad you liked them. I haven't tried baking these as cupcakes, but that sounds like a nice idea :)
I think the cupcakes might have been on the smaller side because it's too little batter for 12. My guess is that there's enough to make 8-9 regular sized cupcakes.
Telma Guerreiro says
Hello Audrey,
A question: what can I use instead of apple butter? I don't have where to buy it here and don't have the availability to make it...is there anything else I can use, or would it work without it?
Thanks!
The Real Person!
Hi Telma. Here are a few ideas:
- you can use a jam of your choice (there are some common brands available that are fruit-sweetened, like St. Dalfour or some lines of Crofters, etc.). I'd go with an apricot flavor, or if you see any of the more fancy flavors (in some places the selection is better than others), then go with something pineappley -- I know St. Dalfour has a version of something like that.
- you can just use another 1/4 cup sweet potato puree instead of the apple butter. You'll probably need to adjust the flavor slightly, maybe by adding a touch of salt, for example, as apple butter is sweet with a mild tartness to it. But this option should work well anyways.
- you can use an extra 1/4 cup cashews. You might need to adjust the sweetness slightly, but this can work well.
Hope these work and I'd love to hear what you end up doing :)
Sharon says
Update, i made this twice, both came out delicious, but i did add a third cup sucanat because i need more sweetness in a cake than just one third cup maple syrup. I also added a slash of milk. Thank you for suggesting bobs red mill with the bean flour. I cant handle rice four anymore, so with the spices and sweet potato, the bean flour worked.
The Real Person!
Hi Sharon,
That's wonderful to hear. Thanks so much for sharing the substitutions that worked for you and for the lovely feedback! :)
Esther says
This looks so yummy! I would like to try making this cake but both my husband and I are allergic to coconut. Do you have any idea how I can sub for the coconut flour? I understand it helps to absorb moisture so I don't think leaving it out would be an option.
The Real Person!
Hi Esther, hmm... it's tricky, because the coconut is so absorbent that to replace it you need a lot more flour (like maybe another 1/2 a cup, I would guess).
I can recommend instead to maybe use one of these two recipes for the cake base and frost them with the chocolate frosting from this recipe for a similar result:
Fresh Cranberry Cake (minus the cranberries)
Carrot Cake
If you do try it without the coconut, I'd love to hear how it turns out.
Lisa says
Hello! You mention this cake freezes well. Would you bake the cake, cool it, then freeze it (omitting the frosting). Upon defrosting the cake is that when you would frost it? Hoping to make this cake and freeze it before we travel. Thanks! Lisa
The Real Person!
Hi Lisa, yes absolutely. I'd freeze it and frost later. It's actually a fair bit easier to frost a cake while it's still frozen (you don't get as many crumbs in the frosting that way). What I normally do is freeze the layers, then frost them while still frozen, and then keep it refrigerated to thaw out gently.
But you could still totally frost it once it's fully defrosted too if it's easier that way.
Lisa says
Thank you!!! I forgot one question - how would the frosting hold up to make it ahead of time, freeze it, and then defrost it prior to the cake & frosting it?
The Real Person!
Hi Lisa, so sorry I missed your follow up question somehow. The frosting should hold up -- you can freeze and defrost it fully prior to frosting, or you can make the frosting closer to the time and refrigerate instead. In my experience frostings tend to work best when freshly made though (just easier to handle and spread, etc.).
Lisa says
Made this cake and it was a huge crowd pleaser!!! I made the cake ahead of time and froze it before traveling. The frosting I left refrigerated and it worked great!! Thank you so much!!! Such a win to find a cake that fits our allergy and vegan needs. Will for sure make again. 5+ stars!
The Real Person!
Oh good! So happy it worked out well :) Thank you for the feedback.
Sridevi says
Hi, Audrey, thanks for this recipe. I don't have guar/xantham gum. If I omit it, will it ruin the cake?
The Real Person!
Hi Sridevi. I don't know about ruining it, but it would affect the texture somewhat. If buying guar/xantham is not an option, I'd make a small batch to try it out first before making a larger cake.
kikki says
Have you tried making cupcakes with this recipe? I'm wondering how to adjust the temperature and baking time.
The Real Person!
Hi Kikki. I haven't tried, but one of my readers made this into cupcakes. She said the batter made 10 short cupcakes (so either increase the recipe for taller ones, or make fewer if you want them to be a good height). She said it worked great though otherwise. Given the size of the original cake, I'd expect 8-10 cupcakes out of it. As far as the baking time goes, I'd guess it should be about the same or slightly less (because the original pans are smaller). I'd start keeping an eye out on them at the 25 min mark (to make sure they're not burning), test for donness at around the 30-35 min mark, but it may well take the full 40 mins. You'll know when they're done if a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry. Let me know how you go if you give it a try :)
The Real Person!
Oh, and I'd keep the temperature the same.
Valentina m Liao says
I love that
The Real Person!
Thanks!
Bailey says
This looks great! Quetion: Is there a way to make this without cashews? One of the people who usually tries my sweets is allergic. Thanks!
The Real Person!
Hi Bailey,
Thank you! I have a few thoughts on taking the cashews out.
1. You can substitute them with 3/4 cup firm tofu, if soy is ok. You may need to adjust the flavors a little because cashews have a subtle natural sweetness to them.
2. Use the nut-free frosting from this cake instead {using cacao powder instead of carob powder for a chocolate option}. This is my favorite frosting to work with.
3. Use this frosting {without the espresso, if you prefer}.
Hope that helps and happy baking! :)
Robyn Bray says
Substitute 1 package unflavored gelatin in place of gums. Your cakes will be moist, dense, and stay fresh for days!
Anita says
gelatin isn't vegan
happy girlfriend says
This looks amazing! The sweet potato is an interesting touch as well. I have been looking for a good gluten free cake to make on my birthday and this fits the bill. Just one little thing, I would definitely not recommend commercial apple butter, they all seem to have high fructose corn syrup!
The Real Person!
Thank you -- so glad you like the cake :)
I make my own apple butter usually {with just apples and sometimes cinnamon}, but I have bought it in the past from the store and the ones around here are 2 ingredients only -- organic apples and baking soda. Do you mean the corn syrup is a hidden ingredient, or just that the ones you have seen contain it? Just curious.
happy girlfriend says
Just in my personal experience every single brand I looked at had corn syrup ... but who knows, I haven't looked in a long time I guess there are more options now :) I don't really have time to make my own even though that sounds really good!
The Real Person!
Ah, that's very interesting. Good to know. I only know of two brands for sale around here and they are both made without, but it must be a regional difference. I'm always curious to know about products out there -- I would never have thought of corn syrup in apple butter, but I would definitely not want to be eating that...
Making your own is quite fast actually. I have the luxury of a few too many wild apple trees around, so it's a good way to use them up. If you're ever curious, here's what I do :)
Kay Horn says
Dear Audrey
Could you assist me with 2 questions please?
1.) If I wanted to make this a chocolate cake, could I add cacao and reduce the flour according to the volume of cacao added?
2.) For chocolate ganache, do you have a recipe that doesn't use non-dairy butter? We can't get it in South Africa and it is a mission to make individual ingredients.
Many thanks and blessings
Kay
The Real Person!
Hi Kay,
To make it chocolate, I would probably add 1/2 cup cacao powder + 1/4 cup water or non-dairy milk, and you can omit the 1 tbsp coconut flour. If the batter seems a little too thick, add another 1-2 tbsp water/milk.
The frosting in this cake doesn't use non-dairy butter, so I'm guessing you're talking about a ganache from a different recipe on here {i.e. melting chocolate chips with non-dairy butter?} -- if that's the case, you can easily use coconut oil instead and that would work.
I'm not sure when you'll need the recipe by, but later this week I'll be publishing a new recipe with a chocolate frosting that's oil-free, so you may want to check that recipe out. I'm hoping to have it up on Thursday.
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy baking! :)
Kay Horn says
Thanks so much Audrey, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer me in detail.
God bless
Kay
The Real Person!
Not a problem, Kay. I'm always happy to answer any questions.
By the way, that other frosting {without any non-dairy butter} I mentioned the other day can be found in this new recipe: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/crazy-fruity-carob-pudding-cake-gluten-free-vegan-fruit-sweetened-oil-free-nut-free/ You can make it with chocolate or with carob powder and could be a good alternative here.
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
This cake looks great Audrey, I love that chocolate icing. This has been featured as one of my favourites over at Sweet and Savoury Sunday. Stop by, grab a button and link up again with us this week. Have a great day!
The Real Person!
Thanks so much, Laura! That's awesome. So glad you like the recipe :)
Lori says
Can xantham gum be subbed for the guar gum? I am new to gluten free baking and happen to have xantham in my pantry. Thanks! Looks so delish!
The Real Person!
Hi Lori -- thanks so much! :) Yes, you can use xantham gum interchangeably. I just use guar gum because my body responds better to it, but it fulfills the same function as xantham gum.
Enjoy the cake! Happy baking :)