Easy Sweet Potato Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This easy Sweet Potato Cake is one of my favorite cozy fall desserts! Made with sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and cinnamon, this moist and fluffy snack cake is finished with an easy cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Cake

This sweet potato snack cake is one of my favorite easy fall desserts! Sweet potato puree keeps the cake incredibly soft and moist while cinnamon adds just the right amount of warm, cozy flavor. Top it with my cinnamon cream cheese frosting for a simple cake that’s perfect for everything from an afternoon treat to Thanksgiving dessert.

• Easy to make: Everything comes together with simple ingredients and minimal prep.
• Super moist: Sweet potato puree gives this cake the BEST soft and tender texture.
• Naturally sweetened: The cake itself is sweetened with maple syrup.
• Vegan-friendly: Use plant-based milk, vegan butter, and vegan cream cheese.
• Gluten-free option: I love making this with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour.
• Perfect for fall: Sweet potato, maple, and cinnamon make this such a cozy recipe for the cooler months.

What Does Sweet Potato Cake Taste Like?

If you’ve never baked with sweet potato before, don’t worry—this cake doesn’t taste like you’re eating a sweet potato! The puree adds subtle sweetness and helps create an incredibly moist texture. Paired with maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and cream cheese frosting, it tastes like a cozy spiced cake with just a hint of sweet potato.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Sweet Potato Cake:

• Sweet potato puree: This is the secret to the cake’s soft, moist texture. Homemade or canned pure sweet potato puree will work.
• Maple syrup: Sweetens the cake while adding a little extra fall flavor.
• Milk: I typically use unsweetened almond or oat milk. Regular milk works if you don’t need the cake to be vegan.
• Butter: Vegan butter keeps the recipe dairy-free, but regular melted butter works too.
• All-purpose flour: Use regular all-purpose flour or a gluten-free all purpose flour. For gluten-free baking, I recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure.
• Cinnamon + vanilla: Simple ingredients that give the cake its warm, cozy flavor.
• Cream cheese frosting: Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and cinnamon make a creamy frosting that pairs perfectly with the sweet potato cake.

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing:

• 2 oz vegan cream cheese (or regular cream cheese if not vegan)
• 2 tablespoon softened vegan butter (or regular butter if not vegan)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

How to Make Sweet Potato Puree

You can absolutely use canned sweet potato puree to keep this recipe quick and easy. Just make sure you're buying 100% pure sweet potato rather than sweet potato pie filling.

To make your own, bake or steam sweet potatoes until completely tender, remove the skin, and blend or mash the flesh until smooth. Allow the puree to cool before measuring it into your cake batter.

Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a square or rectangular cake pan with parchment paper and lightly spray it with non-stick spray.

Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond or oat milk, melted butter, maple syrup, sweet potato puree, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Add the Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour and cinnamon to the wet mixture, stirring until a smooth batter forms. Be careful not to overmix.

Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.

Make the Icing: While the cake is cooling, use an electric hand mixer to beat together the cinnamon, cream cheese, softened butter, and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

Frost and Serve: Once the cake is cooled but still slightly warm, spread the cinnamon cream cheese icing over the top. Slice into squares and enjoy your delicious sweet potato snack cake!

Jill’s Tips for the BEST Sweet Potato Cake

• Don't overmix your batter. Mix just until the flour is incorporated to keep the cake light and tender.
• Use a metal baking pan if possible. You already mention this in your recipe card, and I would bring it into the body copy because it's genuinely helpful.
• Measure the puree carefully. Too much sweet potato can make the cake heavier than intended.
• Let it cool before frosting. A slightly warm cake is fine, but if it's hot, your cream cheese frosting will melt.
• Don't substitute almond or coconut flour. Your recipe was developed for regular all-purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free blend.

Frequently Asked Questions