Nothing screams holiday like sweet potato pie! The thing is….pie is so not my thing! As the baker in my family everyone looks to me for dessert around the holidays and of course pie is the staple dessert on any Thanksgiving table. What my relatives don’t know is…pie was not a staple on the French pastry curriculum! Nevertheless I step into the kitchen each year to whip some up and the fear sets in. Somewhere between the two dropped pies (true story), raw crust and burnt tops I decided to put my foot down and thus my Sweet Potato Cake was born!
The inspiration for this cake comes from a colleague of mine back in the pastry world. She shared a Pumpkin & Olive Oil cake recipe and it was a hit for my brothers birthday. Wanting to change it up a bit for fun I thought pumpkin and sweet potato are pretty similar in taste so it was a no brainer. Theres a little more earthiness to the sweet potato which pairs beautifully with the peppery, herby flavor you get with the extra virgin olive oil. Of course the olive oil is the star in this cake, making it so moist and delicious! Theres also a bit of nutty flavor in the oil that compliments the warm fall spices really well.
You can make this cake in any pan but since were talking holiday a bundt pan is a great way to make it festive! What I love about a bundt cake is the rustic yet fancy look you can achieve with little effort.
Honestly this cake can hold its own with no icing, but since I usually make it for a celebration or holiday I like to frost it. My simple maple syrup and cinnamon icing recipe adds a little sweetness and spice! Finally I top it off with crunchy candied walnuts or pecans because a little texture makes each bite that much better! I like to make this 5 minute candied nut recipe, however you can always get store bought.
How To Make Sweet Potato Purée:
You need 2 cups, I usually do about 3 large sweet potatoes, there will be some leftover. All you need to do is pop the potatoes in the slow cooker and turn on high for 4 hours or low for 8. No water or poking necessary it’s that simple! You can also bake them in the oven on a cookie sheet with foil at 450°F for about 40-60 minutes. When they are fully cooked, peel and put them into a blender, food processor or a mixing bowl with hand beaters. You’ll need to add a little water to make it smoother, start with a tablespoon at a time to get the right consistency.
Tips:
- If you’re in a pinch and don’t want to make the sweet potato purée you can totally use canned pumpkin and you’ll get a similar flavor.
- To save time the day of baking you can make your sweet potato purée the day before. I love to make my sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. It gives such a smooth texture you just can’t get in the oven.
- This cake batter makes a great sweet potato bread too! Just pop it in a loaf pan, adjust the baking time accordingly and enjoy with a dab of butter!
This Sweet Potato & Olive Bundt Cake is the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table! It's rustic, festive, moist and bursting with flavor!
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (430g) sweet potato purée (about 3 large sweet potatoes)
- 3 large eggs (150g) at room temperature
- 1 cup (215g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups (585g) granulated sugar
- 3 cups (360g) cake flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tablespoons half & half (heavy whipping cream or any milk you prefer will work)
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
- Roughly chopped candied pecans. You can use store bought or make them from scratch. I love to use this 5 minute candied pecans recipe.
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 12 cup bundt pan with butter, don’t forget the center on the pan.
- In a stand mixer add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices with a paddle attachment on stir for 15 seconds just to combine.
- In a large bowl whisk together the sweet potato, eggs, olive oil and vanilla. Once combined gradually whisk in sugar.
- With the paddle on low gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula then mix with the paddle one more time for an evenly mixed batter.
- Pour batter into the pan and pat on counter to ensure it’s even. Place pan in oven on bottom rack. Bake for 55-60 minutes, switch pan to top rack halfway through and rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure the cake is baked evenly.
- Test if cake is done by inserting a paring knife or toothpick, if it comes out slightly crumbly it’s done (it will continue to bake in the pan while it cools). If it comes out wet keep baking. Cool cake in pan on a drying rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
Sweet Potato Purée:
- Put 3 large sweet potatoes in the slow cooker and turn on high for 4 hours or low for 8 (no water or poking necessary). To bake in the oven preheat to 450°F, poke sweet potatoes with knife, wrap in foil and place on a cookie sheet with foil. Bake for about 40-60 minutes until soft. When they are fully cooked and cooled, peel and put them into a blender, food processor or a mixing bowl with hand beaters. You'll need to add a little water to make it smoother, start with a tablespoon at a time to get the right consistency. I usually use about a 1/4 cup of water, you will have leftover purée.
For the icing
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium beat half & half into the powdered sugar. Add maple syrup and continue to beat on medium. Add in vanilla and cinnamon and mix until just combined.
*Frost cake immediately or store at room temperature covered with plastic wrap touching the frosting up to 3 days. Assembly
- Place cake on desired plate, preferably a cake stand that can rotate for ease.
- Microwave frosting for about 10 seconds, it should be a bit runny so it flows down the side of the cake. Pour frosting into a spouted pitcher (I use my spouted liquid measuring cup). Slowly pour icing over the cake and rotate until you make a complete circle. If you prefer more frosting continue to go back over the cake and create another layer.
- While frosting is still wet top with chopped candied pecans.
Store cake covered at room temperature up to 3 days for best taste.
