Description
A moist and flavorful sweet potato cake made with a yellow cake mix enhanced by cinnamon and mashed sweet potatoes, topped with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting, chopped pecans, and caramel drizzle. Perfect for a comforting dessert that balances sweet and spice.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1½ cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup milk
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Frosting
- 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Topping
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 Tbsp caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Mix Cake Batter: In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, milk, vegetable oil, eggs, ground cinnamon, and mashed sweet potatoes. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to blend everything into a smooth batter. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Once baked, cool the cake completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Prepare the Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese and softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt while continuing to beat until fully blended. Stir in the vanilla extract for added flavor.
- Frost and Decorate: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans for a crunchy texture and drizzle with caramel sauce to add a sweet finishing touch.
Notes
- Ensure the sweet potatoes are mashed smoothly to avoid lumps in the batter.
- Room temperature cream cheese and butter make the frosting easier to whip and creamier in texture.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts for a different nutty flavor.
- The caramel sauce can be homemade or store-bought depending on your preference.
