The Best Sweet Potato Butter Cake

Oh, sweet heavens, prepare yourselves for a cake experience that transcends the ordinary! We’re diving headfirst into what might just be the ultimate sweet potato confection: The Best Sweet Potato Butter Cake. This isn’t just any cake; it’s a gloriously moist, tender pound cake infused with the earthy sweetness of sweet potato and warm, aromatic spices.

But the real enchantment? A luscious brown butter glaze cascades over the top, adding an intoxicating nutty richness that elevates every single bite. Imagine the comforting embrace of a classic pound cake meeting the soulful flavor of sweet potato pie, all crowned with liquid gold. It’s a stunner, a crowd-pleaser, and quite possibly, your new favorite fall (or anytime!) bake.

Why You’ll Be Obsessed With This Recipe

• Unbelievably Moist Crumb: Thanks to the sweet potato purée and rich buttermilk, this pound cake boasts a texture that’s incredibly tender and stays moist for days. Dry cake? Never heard of her.
• Brown Butter Magic: That glaze isn’t just sugar and butter; it’s browned butter, lending a complex, nutty, almost toffee-like depth that is utterly irresistible. It’s the secret weapon!
• Warm Spice Symphony: Cinnamon and nutmeg weave through the batter, creating a cozy, aromatic backdrop that perfectly complements the sweet potato. It smells like pure comfort while baking!
• Elegant Yet Effortless: While it looks (and tastes!) incredibly impressive, the process is surprisingly straightforward for such a showstopping sweet potato dessert. Perfect for holidays or just because.

Ingredients

Let’s gather the components for this buttery masterpiece. Each element plays a crucial role in the final symphony of flavor:

For the Sweet Potato Pound Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour: The sturdy foundation providing structure to our glorious cake. Sift if lumpy for an extra smooth texture.
• Baking Soda: Gives the cake just the right amount of lift, ensuring a tender crumb rather than a dense one.
• Kosher Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other intricate flavors.
• Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg: The dynamic duo of warm spices, lending that classic autumnal aroma and taste.
• Unsalted Butter: The heart of our BUTTER cake! Provides richness, flavor, and tenderness. Must be room temperature for proper creaming.
• Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a lovely caramel undertone that pairs beautifully with sweet potato. Packed for accuracy!
• Sweet Potato Purée: The star ingredient! Provides natural sweetness, incredible moisture, and beautiful color. Use plain, unsweetened purée.
• Large Eggs: Bind the batter, add richness, and contribute to the structure. Room temperature eggs incorporate better!
• Vanilla & Almond Extracts: Vanilla adds familiar warmth, while almond extract offers a subtle, intriguing floral note that elevates the flavor profile.
• Whole Buttermilk: Reacts with the baking soda for lift and adds moisture and a slight tang, resulting in a super tender pound cake.

For the Brown Butter Glaze:

• Powdered Sugar: The sweet base of our glaze, dissolving beautifully for a smooth finish.
• Salted Butter: Using salted butter here adds a subtle counterpoint to the sweetness. We’ll be browning this for maximum flavor impact!
• Whole Milk: Thins the glaze to the perfect drizzling consistency. Any milk works, but whole adds richness.
• Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract: Vanilla bean paste adds lovely visual flecks, but regular extract works perfectly too, enhancing the glaze’s aroma.

Optional Garnishes:

• Chopped Pecans: Add a delightful textural crunch and nutty flavor.
• Vanilla Ice Cream: Because warm cake + cold ice cream = pure bliss.

(Note: The full list of ingredients with precise measurements is available in the recipe card just below this article!)

How to Make The Best Sweet Potato Butter Cake

Ready to bake some magic? Let’s walk through the steps to create this stunner.

Step 1: Prepare for Cake Success

First, let’s set the stage. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Take your 10-cup bundt pan and give it some serious TLC, generously coat every nook and cranny with baking spray (the kind with flour included is fantastic) or grease it thoroughly with butter and dust with flour. This step is crucial for a clean release! Set the prepared pan aside.

Step 2: Combine the Dry Goods

In a large bowl, gather your flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Grab a whisk and give these dry ingredients a really good mix-up. This ensures the spices and leavening are evenly distributed throughout, preventing pockets of salt or soda. Set this bowl aside for now.

Step 3: Cream Butter, Sugar, and Sweet Potato

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld electric mixer and a large bowl), beat the room temperature butter and packed light brown sugar together on medium speed. Keep going for a solid 3-4 minutes until the mixture looks noticeably lighter in color and delightfully fluffy in texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the sweet potato purée. Beat again until everything is beautifully combined and homogenous.

Step 4: Incorporate Eggs and Extracts

Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, beating on low speed until just combined after each addition. Over-beating here can make the cake tough, so resist the urge! Once the eggs are in, mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Step 5: Alternate Dry and Wet Ingredients

Now for the alternating dance! With the mixer on low speed, add about a third of the flour mixture, followed by about half of the buttermilk. Mix until just incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk. Mix again until just combined. Finally, add the last bit of the flour mixture and mix only until no dry streaks remain. Remember, begin and end with the flour mixture. A few lumps are okay, over-mixing is the enemy of a tender pound cake!

Step 6: Fill the Pan and Bake

Carefully scrape the luscious cake batter into your prepared bundt pan. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to gently smooth the top, ensuring it’s relatively even. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes (70 minutes). The cake is ready when a long wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the deepest part comes out clean, with no wet batter attached.

Step 7: Cool the Cake

Once baked, let the cake cool in the bundt pan on a wire rack for exactly 10 minutes. This allows it to set slightly, making inversion easier. After 10 minutes, carefully place a wire rack over the top of the pan and confidently flip both over. Lift the pan off, hopefully, your cake releases beautifully! Let the cake continue to cool completely on the wire rack. Don’t glaze a warm cake!

Step 8: Conjure the Brown Butter Glaze

While the cake cools, let’s make liquid gold. Place the salted butter in a small, light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt completely. Now, watch closely! The butter will bubble and foam. Swirl the pan occasionally. After about 5-6 minutes, the bubbling will subside slightly, the milk solids will turn golden brown and sink to the bottom, and the butter will have a wonderfully nutty aroma. Remove it from the heat immediately, brown butter can turn into burnt butter in mere seconds! Set it aside to cool slightly for a few minutes.

Step 9: Mix the Glaze

In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar and the slightly cooled brown butter (scrape in all those tasty brown bits!). Stir them together, it might seem thick at first. Pour in the milk and the vanilla bean paste (or extract). Whisk vigorously until the glaze is smooth, well-combined, and has a pourable consistency.

Step 10: Glaze and Garnish

Ensure your cake is completely cool. Place it on your serving plate or cake stand (choose one with a lip if possible to catch drips!). Slowly drizzle the glorious brown butter glaze all over the top, letting it cascade down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 11: Final Flourish and Serve

If desired, sprinkle the top with chopped pecans for a lovely crunch. Slice the magnificent sweet potato butter cake into wedges. Serve as is, or take it over the top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside. Prepare for applause!

Pro Tips for Making the Recipe

• Room Temperature is Crucial: Ensure your butter, eggs, and buttermilk are truly at room temperature. This helps them emulsify properly, leading to a smoother batter and a more tender cake.
• Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag can pack too much flour, resulting in a dry cake.
• The Art of Not Over-Mixing: Once you start adding the flour, mix only until combined. Over-mixing develops gluten, leading to a tough, chewy pound cake instead of a tender one.
• Brown Butter Vigilance: Stay glued to your saucepan when browning the butter. Use a light-colored pan to easily monitor the color change. The moment it smells nutty and looks amber/golden brown, pull it off the heat.
• Bundt Pan Prep Perfection: Don’t skimp on greasing and flouring your bundt pan, or use a reliable baking spray with flour. Every crevice needs coating for a clean release.

How to Serve

This cake is a star that shines brightly on its own, but here are some delightful ways to present it:

• Simply Glorious: A slice served slightly warm or at room temperature needs nothing more.
• A La Mode: A scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream melting alongside a warm slice is pure decadence.
• Nutty Crunch: A sprinkle of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts adds wonderful texture.
• Coffee Companion: It’s the perfect partner for a cup of hot coffee or tea.
• Caramel Drizzle: For extra indulgence, a tiny drizzle of salted caramel sauce over the glaze wouldn’t hurt!

Make Ahead and Storage

Enjoy this beauty for days!

Storing Leftovers

Once completely cool and the glaze is set, store the cake well-covered (under a cake dome or wrapped loosely in plastic wrap) at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Its moisture holds up beautifully!

Freezing

Yes, this pound cake freezes well! You can freeze the whole, unglazed cake or individual slices. Wrap the completely cooled cake/slices tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature. You can glaze the whole cake after thawing or glaze individual slices as needed. The glaze itself doesn’t freeze as well once applied to the cake.

Make Ahead

You can bake the cake a day ahead, let it cool completely, and store it covered at room temperature. Prepare and apply the glaze shortly before serving for the best texture and appearance.

FAQs

1. Can I use canned sweet potato purée?
Absolutely! Canned, unsweetened sweet potato purée works perfectly and is a great time-saver. Just ensure it’s 100% purée, not sweet potato pie filling which has added sugar and spices. You can also roast your own sweet potatoes and mash them until very smooth.

2. What if I don’t have almond extract?
While the almond extract adds a lovely subtle note, you can simply omit it and use a total of 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract if you prefer. The cake will still be incredibly delicious.

3. Can I bake this in a different pan?
This recipe is designed for a 10-cup bundt pan. You could potentially bake it in two 9×5 inch loaf pans, but baking times would need significant adjustment (start checking much earlier, likely around 45-55 minutes). The classic bundt shape is part of its charm!

4. My brown butter glaze is too thick/thin. How do I fix it?
If the glaze seems too thick after mixing, add more milk, just one teaspoon at a time, whisking well after each addition until it reaches a pourable consistency. If it seems too thin, whisk in a bit more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until thickened. Remember it will set slightly as it cools on the cake.

This Best Sweet Potato Butter Cake is truly a triumph of flavor and texture. It’s the moist pound cake of your dreams, elevated by earthy sweet potato and that absolutely divine brown butter glaze. Whether you call it a sweet potato pound cake or just pure happiness, it’s a fall baking recipe (perfect any time, really!) that deserves a permanent spot in your repertoire.

Go ahead, bake this beauty, you’ll definitely want to keep this recipe forever!