Sweet Potato Apple Cake
1 h 5 min
|
easy
|
vegetarian
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
Meet the love child of sweet potato pie and apple spice cake, a super moist, warmly spiced crumb that gets natural sweetness from mashed sweet potatoes and grated Gala apples, with an optional buttery brown sugar glaze that tastes like quick caramel.
Perfect for fall brunches, holiday dessert tables, or a coffee break slice that still tastes great the next day, and no dry crumb on my watch.
Ingredients (10 servings)
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Ingredients for the Cake:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, mashed (about 1½ cups mashed) sweet potatoes 0.67 lb medium
- 2 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, grated Gala apples 2 ct medium
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour all-purpose flour 0.41 lb
- 1 tsp baking powder baking powder 0.17 oz
- ½ tsp baking soda baking soda 0.08 oz
- ½ tsp salt salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon ground cinnamon 0.09 oz
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg ground nutmeg 0.08 oz
- ¼ tsp ground ginger ground ginger 0.02 oz
- ½ cup vegetable oil vegetable oil
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed light brown sugar 6.87 oz
- 2 large eggs large eggs 2 ct
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract pure vanilla extract 1 tsp
Ingredients Optional Glaze:
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted unsalted butter 1 oz
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar light brown sugar 0.86 oz
How to Make Sweet Potato Apple Cake
-
Heat oven and prep pan
Set oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center.
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment, then lightly grease the parchment.
-
Get the sweet potato ready
Measure 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato and make sure it is cool to the touch so it does not scramble the eggs.
If you still need to cook them, roast whole at 400 F until fork-tender, then peel and mash, which gives better flavor than boiling.
-
Grate and drain the apples
Peel, core, and grate the apples on the coarse side of a box grater or in a food processor.
Gather the grated apples in a clean towel and squeeze hard to remove excess juice, saving the juice for a cook's treat or a quick syrup.
-
Mix the dry ingredients
In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until evenly combined.
-
Whisk the wet base
In a large bowl whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and slightly thickened.
Whisk in the mashed sweet potato until fully blended, then fold in the grated apples.
-
Bring batter together
Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet and fold with a spatula just until the flour disappears and no dry pockets remain.
The batter will be thick and should hold a gentle mound, so do not overmix or the crumb will turn tough.
-
Bake
Spread the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and tap the pan once on the counter to release big air bubbles.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes until the top springs back, a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, or the center reads about 205 F.
-
Cool
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, turn out onto a rack, and peel off the parchment.
Flip upright and let it cool until just warm if glazing, or cool completely if not.
-
Optional brown-sugar butter glaze
In a small saucepan melt 2 tablespoons butter, add 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and simmer 30 to 60 seconds while whisking until glossy and mostly dissolved.
Brush or spoon the warm glaze over the warm cake so it soaks in and sets into a shiny, lightly crackly finish.
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Serve and store
Slice with a sharp knife and serve warm or at room temperature.
Store covered in a glass container at room temp for 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze slices well wrapped for a month.
Substitutions
- Gala apples -> Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- Granny Smith brings bright tartness and stays pleasantly firm, while Honeycrisp adds juicy crunch; both balance the sweet potato and keep the crumb from tasting flat.
- Vegetable oil -> Browned butter (cooled, same amount)
- Browned butter adds toasted, nutty depth and a more luxe aroma, yielding a slightly richer, tighter crumb that tastes like you meant business.
- All-purpose flour -> Gluten-free 1:1 baking blend
- A quality 1:1 blend with xanthan gum bakes up tender and moist, keeping the spice and apple notes front and center without crumbling apart.
Tips
- Control moisture like a pro
- Squeeze those grated apples like you mean it, because excess juice makes the cake heavy and can cause a gummy streak in the center.
- Roast sweet potatoes for deeper flavor
- Roasting concentrates sugars and adds natural caramel notes, which play beautifully with brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Weigh your flour if you can
- For 1 1/2 cups flour use about 180 grams to avoid packing too much flour, which dries the cake and kills that plush crumb.
- Know your doneness
- A probe thermometer reading near 205 F in the center is the no-guesswork way to avoid raw middles or overbaked edges.
- Pan swap timing
- An 8-inch square pan bakes in roughly 40 to 48 minutes and a standard loaf pan needs about 50 to 60 minutes, so start checking early and trust the tests.
- No waste, big flavor
- Reduce the squeezed apple juice with a pinch of cinnamon into a quick syrup for drizzling or cocktails, and crisp the sweet potato skins in the oven with a little sugar and salt for a cook's snack.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 378 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 6 | g |
| Total Fat | 14 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Why did my cake sink in the center?
- The apples likely held too much moisture or the cake was underbaked, so squeeze the apples harder and bake until the center hits about 205 F and the toothpick shows only a few moist crumbs.
- Can I cut the sugar?
- You can reduce the brown sugar by up to 1/4 cup without hurting structure, but expect a little less moisture and browning, and consider bumping cinnamon by a pinch for flavor balance.
- Can I make cupcakes or a loaf?
- Yes, bake cupcakes at 350 F for 18 to 22 minutes and a standard loaf pan for about 50 to 60 minutes, checking early and using the same doneness tests.
- Can I use canned sweet potato or pumpkin?
- Yes, drain off any excess liquid and use 1 1/2 cups, which keeps the texture similar while shifting the flavor toward autumn pumpkin pie territory if you go pumpkin.
- My glaze is grainy, what happened?
- Brown sugar needs a short simmer in the butter to dissolve, so cook it 30 to 60 seconds while whisking, then brush on the warm cake for a smooth, shiny finish.
Serving Suggestions
This cake plays nice with a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt or lightly sweetened whipped cream, which slices through the warmth of the spice and lets the apple sing.
For a weekend flex, sprinkle the batter with toasted pecans and a pinch of flaky salt before baking, then pair slices with hot coffee or a bourbon-spiked apple syrup made from that squeezed juice.
More pairings:
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