Easy Sweet Potato Pound Cake (Southern-Style Recipe)

Get a true taste of the South with this easy sweet potato pound cake! This delightful cake is the definition of comfort food.

The earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes combines with the buttery richness of a traditional pound cake. The flavors will leave your tastebuds dancing with delight!

This simple yet stunning recipe is bound to be a hit at any gathering.

Get ready to savor a slice of autumnal bliss with this incredible treat!

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Sweet potato pound cake is the perfect fall dessert. The moist, dense cake is studded with diced sweet potatoes. It’s flavored with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. 

It’s perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, or to take along to a party or holiday potluck.

The best part about this cake is it’s actually pretty easy to make. It’s a show-stopping treat and won’t take all day to prepare.

Just be sure to have plenty of napkins on hand. It’s hard to resist licking your fingers while eating this cake!

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Pound Cake

• White sugar – Sugar helps to tenderize baked goods, making them soft and fluffy. It also helps to brown and caramelize the exterior, giving them a lovely golden hue.
• Salt – A small amount of salt helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the potatoes. It also provides a salty contrast to enhance the flavor of the cake. In addition, salt helps to tenderize the cake crumb, making it more moist and flavorful. 
• Butter – The high-fat content of butter creates a moist and tender cake. Plus, its subtle flavor allows the sweet potato to shine. In addition, butter helps to bind the ingredients together. This ensures the cake will hold together well.
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg adds warmth and depth of flavor to the cake. It’s also a natural digestive aid. It breaks down the sweet potato puree and makes it more easily absorbed by the body.
• Sweet potatoes – Sweet potatoes are the star of this recipe and for good reason. They give it a moist and dense texture that’s simply delicious. This lovely veggie is a good source of vitamins and minerals. The result is healthier than most cakes.
• Baking soda – It helps to tenderize the cake, making it softer and moist. Plus, it provides lift and volume, helping the cake to rise evenly.
• Baking powder – This leavening agent helps to aerate the batter. It results in a cake that’s light and fluffy. In addition, baking powder browns the exterior of the cake, giving it a beautiful golden color.
• Vanilla extract – It gives the cake a lovely aroma sure to please any sweet tooth.
• Cinnamon – Cinnamon has a warm, inviting flavor and pairs well with the sweetness of the cake.
• All-purpose flour – All-purpose flour is made from a blend of different types of wheat. This gives it a higher protein content than other types of flour. The extra protein gives the cake a nice, dense texture.
• Eggs – The whites add lift and structure to the cake, while the yolks add moisture and richness. 
• Orange juice – The acidity of the juice helps to balance out the sweetness of the confectioner’s sugar.
• Confectioner’s sugar – It dissolves easily in liquid, so it’ll always give the glaze a smooth consistency.
• Orange zest – The citrusy flavor helps to offset the sweetness of the cake. Plus, the bright color is a nice contrast to the cake’s rich brown hue. 

How to Store

This recipe yields a big cake. If you have leftovers, store them properly to preserve the flavor and freshness. 

At room temperature, you can store the cake for a maximum of 1-2 days. Use a cake holder with a lid to store it at room temperature.

If you want to store it for longer, refrigerating it is a better option. The cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days. Before you put it in the refrigerator, be sure to cover it in plastic foil. Or place it inside an air-tight container. This will prevent the cake from getting dry and flaky.

It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Freeze the cake without the glaze to avoid the formation of crystals. They make the glaze bumpy. 

Double-wrap the cake in plastic foil and place it inside a freezer-safe air-tight container. When you want to defrost it, leave it at room temperature overnight or thaw it in the refrigerator.

How to Reheat

This cake is absolutely delicious both warm and cold. However, warming it up really helps to bring out the amazing flavors. 

If you plan on heating only a slice or two, you can pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. 

If you want to reheat the whole cake, it’s better to do it in the oven. Grab a pan and a baking sheet and put the cake on it. Warm it up in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes. Add a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent burning the glaze.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Pound Cake

• Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing will result in a tough and rubbery cake. Mix it just until the ingredients are combined.
• Cream the butter until it’s light and fluffy before adding the sugar. This helps to create tiny air pockets within the batter. It results in a tender and moist cake.
• Be sure the eggs and butter are at room temperature before adding them to the mix to avoid lumpiness and coagulation.
• Use the correct measurements to achieve consistent results. Steering away from them will mess up the consistency.
• Don’t overbeat the eggs. This prevents a cracked texture of the final product.
• Add the flour in stages to the buttermilk instead of pouring it all at once. This stops the gluten from forming.

Easy Sweet Potato Pound Cake (Southern-Style Recipe)

Servings

14

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Calories

409

kcal

The sweet potato pound cake recipe is a taste of the South! Serve it at your next party, and be prepared for a show-stopper.

Ingredients

• Cake:

• 2 cups 2 white sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 salt

• 1 cup 1 softened butter

• ½ teaspoon ½ ground nutmeg

• 2 cups 2 cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

• ½ teaspoon ½ baking soda

• 2 teaspoons 2 baking powder

• 1 teaspoon 1 vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon 1 ground cinnamon

• 3 cups 3 all-purpose flour

• 4 4 eggs

• Glaze:

• 5 teaspoons 5 orange juice

• 1 cup 1 sifted confectioner’s sugar

• Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons 2 orange zest

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease and flour a tube pan.
• Mix the sugar and butter with a mixer on medium speed until you get a creamy, fluffy texture.
• Add the mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla extract. Mix them well.
• Add the eggs, one by one, and mix them well until you get an even mixture.
• In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredient mixture to the rest of the dough and blend it on low speed.
• Pour the batter into the tube pan.
• Bake it for around 80 minutes. Prick it with a toothpick to ensure it’s fully baked. If the toothpick comes out clean, it’s ready. If it still has wet dough residue, it needs a bit more baking.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for around 20 minutes. Transfer it to a serving plate.
• For the glaze, combine the sugar and orange juice until it’s evenly mixed.
• Top the cake with the glaze while it’s still warm and sprinkle it with grated orange zest.

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