The Best Sweet Potato Pound Cake
This Sweet Potato Pound Cake is moist, warmly spiced, and full of flavor. It's topped with a rich homemade caramel frosting, making one of the best Fall desserts ever!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 55 min
- Yield
- 16 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk (or 3 Tablespoons whole milk mixed with ½ teaspoon of white vinegar)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar (For a less thick, runny frosting, reduce it to ⅓ cup. )
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10” tube or bundt pan, and set aside.
- 2
Prepare the cake batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and then add the sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. TIP: Make sure to not over-cream them; otherwise, your cake can acquire gummy streaks! Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition at low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Add the buttermilk and beat just until incorporated. The batter will look lumpy.
- 3
In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Slowly add the flour mixture to the potato mixture at low speed until combined. Beat in the mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla.
- 4
Pour the batter into the prepared tube/bundt pan and level uniformly. Bake for 55-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- 5
Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Once the cake has cooled completely, prepare the caramel frosting. If you prefer, serve this sweet potato pound cake plain, dusted with confectioner sugar, or with a dollop of whipped cream.
- 6
For the Caramel Frosting: Bring brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter to a boil in a small stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking constantly for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Continue to stir the mixture until it just begins to cool and thicken. Immediately pour mixture over cooled sweet potato pound cake and let set. Decorate with chopped pecans on top or with fresh cranberries and mint leaves on the side.