Sweet Potato Pound Cake

This Sweet Potato Pound Cake puts a new spin on traditional pound cake. It's a deliciously dense cake, with warm spices, and tastes similar to sweet potato pie.

If you're craving more sweet potato recipes, then try making an Easy Sweet Potato Pie, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Sweet Potato Cornbread. 

I have found myself craving sweet potatoes lately!

Right now I have an entire produce drawer in my refrigerator dedicated solely to sweet potatoes. In the past two weeks, I've had/made roasted sweet potato (my new favorite thing), mashed sweet potato, sweet potato biscuits, and muffins. I believe if you're craving something, then it could be that your body needs nutrients from that food. So my body must really need loads of vitamin A and vitamin C.

It's also perfect because sweet potato peak season is from October through December and they are seen in abundance in free-standing bins at the grocery store. At any rate, I will continue to enjoy the delicious sweet potato and try not to burn you out on it in the process.

Let's get started!

Sweet Potato Pound Cake Ingredients

1. Butter - Use salted or unsalted butter in your favorite brand. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before using it to make it easier to mix with the other cake ingredients.
2. Granulated Sugar - Granulated or cane sugar adds sweetness to the pound cake. For this recipe, you will need two cups of sugar. Light brown sugar could be used as a substitute. 
3. Sweet Potatoes - Select fresh sweet potatoes that are about the same size to make the sweet potato puree. They can be found in the produce section of the grocery store and may also be referred to as Mississippi red sweet potatoes or yams. The recipe can also be made with Japanese or white sweet potatoes.
4. Eggs - This cake requires four large eggs. Try to remove the eggs before using them and allow them to come to room temperature.
5. All-Purpose Flour - Check to make sure it’s plain all-purpose flour with nothing added to it. You may whisk or sift it before using it to remove any large lumps. Cake flour could be used as a substitute. 
6. Salt - Helps to balance the ingredient flavors of the cake. I prefer to use kosher salt for baking. 
7. Baking Powder - This ingredient will help to give the cake a great texture and a tender crumb. 
8. Baking Soda - Be sure to check the date of the package before adding it to the pound cake to make sure that it hasn't expired. Expired baking soda will prevent the cake from rising properly.
9. Ground Nutmeg - This spice adds a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. 
10. Ground Cinnamon - Make sure it's pure ground cinnamon without any additional ingredients added to it. Adds a warm spice flavor to the sweet potato pound cake recipe. 
11. Vanilla Extract - Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation for best results. Gives the cake a hint of vanilla flavor. 
12. Lemon Extract - Helps to add a little lemon flavor to brighten up the sweet potato flavor. 

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.

How to Make Sweet Potato Cake 

Begin the cake recipe by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a bundt pan/tube pan and set it aside. In a small bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon. 

Using a hand mixer on medium speed and a large bowl or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar.

Add the mashed sweet potato to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until the batter is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.

Slowly add dry ingredients until well combined and then add the vanilla and lemon extracts.

Pour the sweet potato pound cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Once the cake is finished, carefully remove it from the oven and allow the cake to sit in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Invert the cake on a serving plate before removing it from the pan.

Allow the cake time to cool completely before slicing to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

For a light glaze on the top of the cooled cake, mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 3 Tablespoons of orange juice or lemon juice, and drizzle on top of the cake. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks 

• Take your time preparing the cake pan to prevent your cake from sticking to the pan. Use shortening and lightly flour before adding the cake batter or use baking spray.
• Try to use room temperature ingredients for easier mixing and a smooth batter that will help you to have a light, tender, and fluffy cake.
• While mixing be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure the cake is fully combined.
• After adding the cake batter to the cake pan, lightly tap the bottom of the pan on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Be sure to check the pound cake while baking to make sure that it doesn't overbake. Place a cake tester (toothpick) into the cake and once it comes out with little to no crumbs or wet cake mix, then it’s time to pull it from the oven.

Storage Tips 

Storage. Store any leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container or cake storage for 4 to 5 days. Slice and serve as normal. If you prefer to store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or plastic wrap, then it will last a few days longer. 

Reheating. If you're storing the pound cake in the refrigerator, then allow it to come to room temperature or slightly reheat it before serving. You can heat it in the microwave for a few seconds. 

Freezing. This cake can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for up to 30 days. Allow the baked cake to cool to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before storing it in the freezer. 

Once you're ready to serve, simply remove the pound cake from the freezer the night before and allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving it the next day. Once the cake has fully thawed you may store it at room temperature.

Want More Easy Pound Cake Recipes? Try These:

• Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake
• 7Up Pound Cake
• Homemade Sour Cream Pound Cake
• SunDrop Pound Cake Recipe
• Greek Yogurt Pound Cake 
• Pound Cake Trifle with Berries  
• Eggnog Pound Cake 

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ideas and ways to enjoy this Sweet Potato Pound Cake? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Original post date 11/02/2015. Updated 12/06/2024.