Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

This easy Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake is made with cocoa powder, chocolate chips and pureed sweet potato! It’s a moist, chocolatey cake topped with luscious chocolate ganache.

This sweet potato chocolate cake recipe is unlike any other. It’s healthy, chocolatey, and super special! You won’t taste the sweet potato but it adds nutrition and makes the cake extra moist.

Sweet potato is not a widely used ingredient when it comes to cake. I created this recipe to inspire you to bake with sweet potatoes!

For more healthier desserts with fruits and vegetables, try my Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake and Chocolate Avocado Muffins.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• This chocolate sweet potato cake is made with cocoa powder and chocolate chips. It’s topped with more chocolate in the form of chocolate ganache! Perfect for chocolate lovers!
• Your friends and family won’t believe you when you tell them the cake is made with sweet potato! It’s especially fun to tell kids they are eating a vegetable!
• Sweet potato adds extra nutrition. It also replaces some of the fat.
• What would fall be without sweet potatoes? This cake is perfect for fall, Thanksgiving and the holidays!

INGREDIENTS

Below are some notes about some of the ingredients for this sweet potato and chocolate cake.

• Sweet potato– You can’t taste the sweet potato but it makes the cake super moist. It also adds a bit of nutrition to this dessert. I find it similar to baking with pumpkin. You need 1 cup of mashed sweet potato. I generally use a little more than one sweet potato for this cake.
• Vegetable Oil– Vegetable oil makes this cake moist and rich.
• Brown Sugar– Use light or dark brown sugar.
• Buttermilk– Buttermilk makes the cake moist and rich. Use room temperature buttermilk.
• Eggs-Use 2 large, room temperature eggs.
• Flour- Use all purpose flour.
• Cocoa Powder-Use unsweetened cocoa powder, dark cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder. 
• Mini chocolate chips-Use regular or mini semisweet chocolate chips.
• Chocolate: Chop the chocolate. Use semisweet or dark chocolate for the ganache. Chopping the chocolate makes it melt faster and more evenly.
• Heavy Cream: Makes the ganache rich and spreadable.

SUBSTITUTIONS & VARIATIONS

• Sweet potato– I haven’t made this cake without sweet potato since it is a sweet potato cake 🙂 I prefer using fresh sweet potatoes and making my own sweet potato puree. I haven’t used canned sweet potatoes. If you try using canned, make sure they are unsweetened.
• Vegetable oil– Canola oil can also be used.
• Buttermilk– Instead of buttermilk, regular whole milk can be used.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Here are the instructions for this chocolate and sweet potato cake. See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step One: Cook and puree sweet potato. Boil, bake or microwave sweet potato until tender. Once cooked and peeled, mash the potato with a fork, potato masher, or a food processor.

Step Two: Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step Three: Mix the oil and sugars. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the oil and sugar for one minute on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla. Beat until mixture thickens.

Step Four: Mix in the sweet potato. Mix in the sweet potato until fully incorporated.

Step Five: Add the buttermilk and dry ingredients. Alternatively mix in the buttermilk with the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Step Six: Bake. Pour the batter into an 8 inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 25. Cool completely before adding ganache.

Step Seven: Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan or the microwave until it just starts to bubble. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for 3 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate has melted completely. Spread the ganache over the cake.

HOW TO COOK A SWEET POTATO

• Boil it: Chop your sweet potato into chunks and place it in an medium saucepan filled with cold water. Bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce it to medium and simmer until sweet potato chunks are tender. (They are tender when a knife can easily pierce a piece).
• Bake it: Preheat oven to 400 F. Prick the sweet potato allover with a fork. Bake 45-60 minutes, until fork tender. Once it’s cool to the touch, peel the sweet potato.
• Microwave it: Prick the sweet potato allover with a fork. Microwave the sweet potato for at least five minutes or until tender (flipping over halfway). Allow to cool slightly then peel.

Allow sweet potato to cool completely before mashing or pureeing. Use a food processor or potato masher to puree it.

EXPERT TIPS

Tip #1: If you want this cake a little on the sweeter side, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the batter. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate instead of dark for the ganache.

Tip #2: Topping the cake with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream are also delicious ways to make the cake even sweeter!

Tip #3: Cut the cake into 9 big pieces or 12 smaller pieces.

STORING

Store this easy sweet potato cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

MORE RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Natalie
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 9-12 pieces
• Category: Cakes and Cupcakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache is so delicious! Super moist and chocolatey cake made with pureed sweet potato and topped with luscious chocolate ganache! This easy recipe is perfect for fall and the holidays!

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Ingredients

Units USM

SWEET POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 1 cup of cooked sweet potatoes, cooked, cooled, peeled and pureed*
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 cup (about 4 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped

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Instructions

1. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment leaving an overhand on two sides. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the oil and sugar for one minute on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla followed by the mashed sweet potato. Alternatively mix in the buttermilk with the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
5. Run a knife along the sides of the cake pan. Use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Place the cake on the cooling rack and allow to cool completely topping it with the ganache.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan on medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Do not let it boil. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate. Do not stir. Let stand 3-4 minutes then stir slowly with a metal spoon until the chocolate has melted and is completely combined with the heavy cream. Spread the mixture over the cake. 

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Notes

*HOW TO COOK A SWEET POTATO (Follow one of the following methods):Boil it: Chop your sweet potato into chunks and place it in an medium saucepan filled with cold water. Bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce it to medium and simmer until sweet potato is tender. Bake it: Preheat oven to 400 F. Prick the sweet potato allover with a fork. Bake 45-60 minutes, until fork tender. Once it’s cool to the touch, peel the sweet potato. Microwave it: Prick the sweet potato allover with a fork.  Microwave the sweet potato for at least five minutes or until tender (flipping over halfway). Allow to cool slightly then peel.

Keywords: sweet potato, chocolate, cake, chocolate chips, healthy, dark chocolate, chocolate ganache