Vegan Sweet Potato Cake

A piece of sweet potato cake on a white plate, a fork with a piece of the cake on it sits in front of the cake.

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Super moist, soft, fluffy spiced vegan sweet potato cake topped with a layer of luscious, creamy frosting. It’s the perfect quick, easy vegan dessert to serve on a special occasion or just on a regular weeknight! It’s dairy-free, eggless, and can be made gluten-free if needed.

Prep Time15

Cook Time23

Total Time38

Servings:

Author: Gwen Leron

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
6 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups (188g) all-purpose white flour OR gluten free flour blend (if using gluten-free flour blend, use 1 ½ cups (210g), **please see important notes about flour below**
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (180g) sweet potato purée
⅔ cup (133g) brown sugar (or ¾ (113g) coconut sugar)
¼ cup (60ml) oil
¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe vegan cream cheese frosting (see note below)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line an 8" x 8" square baking pan with parchment paper and make an overhang on all sides so removing the cake will be easy, set aside.
Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, add the sweet potato purée, sugar, oil, dairy-free milk, vanilla, and flax eggs. Mix well until everything has combined.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a thick batter has formed. Don't over-mix.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, spread it evenly, and smooth out the top.
Bake for 23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care not to overbake.
Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, using the parchment overhang, carefully remove the cake from the pan, and place it on a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting, slicing, and serving.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Once fully cooled, frost (make the layer as thick or thin as you'd like and save any leftover frosting for another recipe).
Slice the cake into 9 or 12 squares.

Notes

Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
The cup amount for both types of flour is the same but the weights are different because they have different properties and densities. If you are baking by weight, please take note of each weight and weigh your flour correctly.
If you are making the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make the vegan gluten-free version of this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the red bag, NOT the blue bag), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another flour blend. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
Coconut sugar can be used instead of brown sugar, however, each type calls for a different amount, so make sure to use the correct amount for the type you are using.
I recommend dairy-free cream cheese frosting, but you can use whatever type you'd like. Find other vegan frosting recipes here. If you don't want to use frosting, that's okay, you can dust the tops of each slice with powdered sugar just before serving or you can leave the tops plain.
Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days, the gluten-free version will keep for 4 days. Serve cold or bring to room temperature before serving. If you are not frosting the cake, it can be kept at room temperature.
Freezing: Once fully cooled, don't slice or frost, instead, wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap so it's airtight, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze it for up to two months. When you're ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature, then frost.
Nutrition info is based on 1 of 9 servings with the recipe made as written and without frosting. The cake made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour has a calorie count of 204 per serving. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.

Nutrition