This bundt cake has a dense but moist crumb and a simple glaze with maple syrup. It's sweet and flavorful, with the unmistakable warmth of Fall spices. It's just plain wonderful. It keeps well for several days and can be frozen.
A fabulous Fall bake
Bundt and pound cakes is one of our most popular categories, so it was about time I introduced you to this fabulous sweet potato version.
It's a delicious cake that combines moist, sweet potato flavor, warm spices, and a sweet, finger-licking glaze perfectly.
It's like a sweet potato pie turned into a cake - comforting and satisfying.
Similar to pumpkin, baking with sweet potato is all about the spices, which are easy to customize.
We love to use apple pie spice, but any combination of warm spices can be used. Maybe you don't like cloves like me, so you don't add them. Or there's a store-bought pie spice mix that you love.
About this cake
- The texture: it's very moist and rises well, so the crumb is perfectly dense but soft.
- Versatile: you can make it for afternoon tea, brunch and the Thanksgiving table. And you can use one recipe to make to loaves. Eat one and freeze or gift the other.
- Make ahead: it keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days and can be frozen for a month (best if without frosting), always well wrapped.
FAQ
Yes, you should let it cool down, and the question is how long. I flip mine after 15 minutes or so. I use a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to make sure there are no stuck parts and then shake the pan slightly until I feel the cake has loosened up completely especially the bottom part. I place a cooling rack over it, flip it, remove the pan carefully, and let it cool completely on the wire rack. Be careful when doing this because a hot cake is very tender and can easily crumble.
Yes, you can! Many pound cakes are loaf cakes and some claim they're the original shape. That discussion aside, a recipe for a bundt cake yields 2 medium loaves.
Don't overbake it and keep it covered with a cake dome or plastic wrap. If the cake is in contact with air, it will dry out more quickly. And sometimes, using oil or sour cream in the batter can make a pound cake moister.
Ingredient list
- Sweet potato purée: use homemade sweet potato puree or buy canned sweet potato puree.
- Unsalted butter.
- White granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Buttermilk.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking powder and baking soda: make sure they're not expired.
- Spices: a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg or apple pie spice mix.
- Vanilla extract.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
Type of sweet potatoes to use
- Orange sweet potatoes: they are my first choice due to their sweetness, texture and color. The skin is purplish brown and the inside is orange.
- Yellow sweet potatoes: a sibling to the ones above, they have pale yellow pulp, a denser texture and beige brown skin. The color of the cake will be brownish and the texture denser. I don't like them for this cake.
- Yams: an alternative to the orange potatoes. They have similar color and texture and are a tad sweeter.
Preparing the bundt pan
If you bake bundt cakes often, you've likely had one stick to the pan. It's frustrating-but preventable. Here are three reliable methods:
- Shortening and flour: Coat the pan thoroughly with soft shortening using your fingers or a brush, making sure to reach every corner, including the center tube. Dust with flour, rotating the pan to cover evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink.
- Cake goop (pan-release paste): Mix equal parts shortening, flour, and oil into a paste. Brush it onto the pan. Store leftovers in a jar-1 month at room temp or up to 3 months in the fridge. This is one of my favorite methods.
- Baking spray with flour: Only use baking spray that includes flour. Regular cooking spray isn't enough and often leads to sticking. I rarely use this anymore.
The recipe matters too: When I find a bundt cake that releases cleanly, even without perfect prep, I hold onto it-it's a keeper.
How to make sweet potato pound cake
- Electric or stand mixer: this is a large, dense cake batter, so mixing it by hand is not encouraged. You need to incorporate air and cream the butter and sugar well, so help yourself with a mixer.
- Flour mixture (dry ingredients): it's important to sift them as you add them or have them sifted beforehand. The idea at this point is to beat as little as possible, just until the batter is well combined. This will help make the crumb lighter.
- Final batter: I always finish my cake batter with a spatula to make sure there is no flour left unmixed in the bottom of the bowl, and also to scrape the sides well for the last time.
Baking the bundt cake
- Fill the pan to no more than ¾ of its capacity. That is my golden rule regarding cake batters in general, and especially relevant with bundt cakes that tend to be dense and large.
- How do you know when it's done? Most bundt cakes will bake to a golden brown top before they're fully baked inside. So always use a cake tester or toothpick to check: if it comes out clean (no moist crumbs or wet batter attached) when you insert it in the middle of the cake, it's done.
- What if the cake is browning too quickly? This can happen with large cakes, so tent with a large piece of aluminum foil to loosely cover the top of the cake and continue baking it; the foil will prevent the top from continuing to brown while the inside fully bakes.
- Let it cool down on a wire rack for 15 minutes before attempting to remove it. Use a smooth-bladed knife to check there are no stuck parts around the edges and center, and shake the pan carefully to loosen up the cake. Use a wire to flip it.
Maple glaze
I use a simple powder sugar glaze with maple syrup because, together with sweet potato, it makes the best cake possible.
It's easy to make, keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks, and it's easy to pour and get those beautifully dripped sides.
Icing a bundt cake
The domed shape of bundt cakes sometimes makes them tricky to glaze and frost.
It's easy to do so, but the right consistency is key! Too soft and it will run down the sides too much; too thick and it'll be too thick. We use what we call 'thick honey' consistency.
How much frosting? That's up to you! I find that a medium thick layer is always a good idea. So allow your sweet tooth to decide.
Alternative: use the cream cheese frosting we love for the pumpkin bundt cake. It's thicker and doesn't drip.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Pan size: fill the pan to no more than ¾ of its capacity at the most. That is my golden rule regarding cake batters in general, and especially relevant with bundt cakes that tend to be dense, similar to pound cakes. I give 2 choices of pan size in the recipe card.
- Flavorings: adapt the amount and type of spices to your palate. Use any homemade or store-bought mix you like, or use fewer spices than those specified in the recipe. Make this flavorful sweet potato cake your own!
- Add-ins: add ½ cup of semi sweet chocolate chips or chopped walnuts/pecans to the cake batter.
- Freezing: this moist bundt cake freezes well for a month; ensure it's well wrapped. I use plastic wrap first and then aluminum foil. Defrost in the refrigerator (it takes a while, so I recommend doing it the day before) or at room temperature.
Related recipes you might like:
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Sweet Potato Pound Cake (spiced, with maple glaze)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups sweet potato puree, use homemade sweet potato puree or buy canned sweet potato puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- OR 4 teaspoons apple pie spice, instead of the three spices above
- ⅓ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup, or more if needed
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Grease (use shortening) and flour a large 10 or 12-cup bundt pan.
- In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt.
- Cream softened butter in a large bowl adding both sugars gradually, and beat for 2-3 minutes, until thick and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated.
- Add vanilla, the sweet potato puree, and mix well.
- Add the sifted flour mixture in two additions alternating with the buttermilk, beating only until well mixed. It's important that you don't overbeat the sweet potato mixture at this point.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly before it's done, loosely cover the cake with a large piece of aluminum foil so the top doesn't continue to brown while the inside bakes fully.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Grab the pan with kitchen towels and starts shaking it a little, until the cake moves and you make sure the bottom and sides are not stuck.
- Invert onto a wire rack, and cool completely before frosting.
- Pour the maple glaze and let it drip down the sides. If sprinkling chopped pecans or ground cinnamon to decorate, do so before the glaze sets.
For the glaze:
- In a medium bowl, mix powdered sugar with the maple syrup until smooth and creamy. It should be like thick honey. Add more syrup if needed.
- Use on the bundt cake or refrigerate until needed in an airtight container or the bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap.
Sara B. says
Also- the spices are included in the recipe twice - both in steps 3 (with dry ingredients) and in step 6 (along with sweet potato puree). Can you please clarify which one is correct?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Sara! It was a typo and it’s corrected now. Thanks for letting me know. Happy baking.
Sara B says
I was in the process of making this cake when I realized that adding vanilla to the batter was not mentioned in the recipe, but vanilla is listed in the ingredients. I’m guessing it goes in after the eggs (as I’ve done in other recipes). If the recipe could be edited to include the vanilla step that would be greatly appreciated!