Dreena's Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake
Dreena Burton is an amazing recipe creator. This cake is sweetened partially with cooked sweet potato, which also adds moisture and a tender texture. Pair it with the Chocolate Sweets Frosting, and you have a real winner! I made and served this cake to my dinner guests last night and I think it is safe to say that they enjoyed it. Makes 1 cake layer
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup peeled, cooked, and cooled orange sweet potato (see note)
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole-grain spelt flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup mini or regular nondairy chocolate chips
- 1/2 scant teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 scant teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8” x 8” brownie/cake pan or a 9” round cake pan with coconut or other oil, and fit the bottom of the pan with a small piece of parchment paper.
- In a blender puree the sweet potato, 1/2 cup of the water, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and vanilla extract until completely smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut sugar, chocolate chips, and sea salt, then sift in the cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry (be sure to scrape out all the blended ingredients with a spatula, and use the remaining 1 tablespoon of water to rinse the blender jar and get out any remaining puree). Mix until just well incorporated.
- Transfer to the prepared pan, bake for 21–23 minutes, remove, and let cool on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Frosting
Yes, this frosting is made with cooked sweet potatoes! Once blended with rich nut butter and other ingredients, it turns into a thick, irresistible frosting! Makes about 2 1/4 cups.
Ingredients
- 1 loosely packed cup peeled, cooked, and cooled sweet potato (see note)
- 2/3–3/4 cup coconut sugar or other unrefined sugar(see note)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 scant cup raw cashew butter or almond butter
- 1/4 rounded teaspoon sea salt
- 2–5 tablespoons nondairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the sweet potato, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, cashew butter, sea salt, 1–2 tablespoons of the milk, and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor and puree until very smooth. Taste, and add more sweetener if desired, and also another 2–3 tablespoons of milk if needed to thin to preferred consistency Puree until smooth, scraping down the blender/processor bowl as needed. Puree until as smooth as possible.
- Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. Or just grab a spoon and dig in!