Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake

This cake is dense and rich, but not dry, and it has half the fat and sugar of regular cake. The secret ingredient? Sweet potatoes!

Sweet potatoes have been my favorite vegetable for a long time, so years ago, when I found this Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake recipe in a Reader’s Digest magazine I had to try it. I recently adapted it into a gluten free version and it tastes even better than I remembered!

For a stronger cinnamon flavor, I recommend Saigon Cinnamon instead of regular cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon has a lighter hue and a much stronger flavor profile. It’s found in the spice section at most grocery stores.

Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

 Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour One to One Blend
• 1/2 cup Oat Flour (Pulverize oats in a food processor to make flour)
• 1/4 cup Almond Flour
• (Can substitute 2 cups regular flour for the above flour blend if not making cake gluten free)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Saigon Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 11/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 Eggs
• 3oz Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate
• 1 TB butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (substitute 1/2 cup milk mixed with 1 tsp vinegar)
• 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes (1 lb) (peeled, chopped into 2 in chunks and boiled)

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8oz block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (neufchâtel) at room temperature
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar (adjust for desired thickness)
• Chopped walnuts and chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

• Pre-Heat Oven to 350. Prepare 2 8inch round cake pans by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
• Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Drain and set aside.
• Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Combine oil, vanilla and sugars in a mixing bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Puree cooked sweet potatoes with buttermilk in food processor, until smooth.
• Melt unsweetened chocolate with butter (in microwave or in double boiler on stove.)
• Fold in dry ingredients with wet ingredients, alternating with sweet potato puree and melted chocolate.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 30 min or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove onto cooling racks.

To Frost: Let cakes cool completely before frosting. Top first layer with frosting and then sprinkle with chocolate chips and/or walnuts if desired. Layer second cake on top of first frost all sides of cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon and more chocolate chips and walnuts or decorate as desired. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator to keep fresh.

Do you have any favorite ways of hiding vegetables in baked goods? Let me know by posting a comment! And let me know if you try baking the cake!