Sweet Potato Cake with Maple Frosting - Spiced Sheet Cake
A moist spiced sheet cake featuring pureed sweet potatoes that adds natural sweetness and vibrant color. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves complement the earthy sweet potato flavor, while maple frosting provides a rich finish. Perfect for fall gatherings, potlucks, or holiday celebrations when you need a dessert that feeds a crowd. The sweet potatoes keep the cake incredibly tender and add subtle complexity beyond typical spice cakes.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ cups dark-orange sweet potatoes, mashed cooked (2 medium)
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons maple flavormaple syrup1:1 rationatural
may need to reduce milk slightly
- 3 tablespoons milkregular milk + lemon juice1:1 ratiodairy substitute
add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk
Full guide →
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 350°F
- 2
Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray, then lightly flour
- 3
Beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until blended
- 4
Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally
- 5
Pour batter into prepared pan
- 6
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
- 7
Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour
- 8
Beat frosting ingredients in medium bowl, adding enough milk until frosting is smooth and spreadable
- 9
Frost cooled cake
Tips
Make sure sweet potatoes are completely smooth when mashing to avoid lumps in the finished cake.
Cool cake completely before frosting or the maple frosting will melt and slide off the warm surface.
Add milk gradually to the frosting until you reach the perfect spreading consistency - too much makes it runny.
Good to Know
Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 1 week.
Can be made 1 day ahead - wrap unfrosted cake and make frosting separately, then assemble before serving.
Serve at room temperature. Cut into squares with sharp knife.
Common Mistakes
Cool cake completely to avoid melting the frosting.
Don't overmix batter after adding flour to prevent tough cake.
Measure flour correctly by spooning into cup and leveling off.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
add 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk
Full guide →General Alternatives
FAQ
Can I use canned sweet potato instead of fresh?
Yes, use 1 1/2 cups canned sweet potato puree, but drain any excess liquid and make sure it's smooth before adding to batter.
What if I don't have maple flavoring?
Substitute with maple syrup using the same amount, but you may need to reduce the milk in the frosting by 1-2 tablespoons.
How long does this cake keep?
Unfrosted cake keeps 3 days covered at room temperature. Frosted cake should be refrigerated and keeps up to 1 week.