This easy sweet potato snack cake has all the decadent flavor of classic vegan chocolate cake with the simplicity of sweet potato quick bread!
The luscious sweet potato frosting is so good, you'll want to eat it straight from the spoon! In fact, it's so good that the filling of this no-bake sweet potato pie is based on the same recipe.
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this vegan sweet potato chocolate cake. Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredient Notes
Sweet Potato Puree: If you're starting with raw sweet potatoes, you'll need about 700g (2-3 large sweet potatoes). Roast them at 425°F (220°C) for 40-45 minutes, or until fork-tender. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 40-45 minutes until soft. Let them cool, mash, or puree. You'll need 450g total for the recipe.
If you made more than you need, these sweet potato muffins and sweet potato cake are a great way to use up any extra.
Plant-Based Milk: When combined with apple cider vinegar, soy milk creates a great dairy-free buttermilk substitute. While almond or oat milk can also work, soy milk has a higher protein content, which helps with better curdling and structure in baking.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This recipe uses Dutch-process cocoa, which has been alkalized to reduce acidity. It gives the cake a rich, dark color and a smooth, intense chocolate flavor.
Coconut Sugar: Keeps the cake free from refined sugar, but you can easily substitute with soft brown sugar or raw cane sugar if preferred.
Olive Oil: Since this is an oil-based, butter-free cake, it stays wonderfully moist for days. If you're not a fan of the slightly floral notes of extra virgin olive oil, you can swap it for a mild vegetable oil like canola or sunflower oil.
Espresso: Just like in my beetroot chocolate cake, espresso deepens the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee. If you prefer to leave it out, you can simply replace it with the same amount of plant-based milk.
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🔪 Instructions
Here's a visual overview showing how to make this vegan sweet potato cake recipe. Please refer to the detailed recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and instructions. You can also hit the jump to recipe button at the very top of this page to skip to the printable recipe.
Start by whisking the wet ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Add the sugar at this stage. It helps it dissolve properly and ensures even distribution throughout the batter.
Whisk half the dry ingredients, then switch to a rubber spatula and carefully fold in the remainder. The spatula is also great for scraping down the sides of the bowl and ensuring everything is evenly mixed.
The batter is supposed to be thick, so don't worry, it's going to bake up lovely and fluffy! Transfer it to a prepared pan lined with parchment paper, and bake in a preheated oven.
Frosting the cake
The sweet potato frosting is made by blending cooked sweet potato, melted dark chocolate, dairy-free yogurt, and a splash of pure vanilla extract in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
Before frosting, make sure the cake is completely cool. Remove it from the tin and let it sit on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature. Then use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to generously swirl the frosting over the top.
❄️ Storage Tips
Once the cake has fully cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. You can keep it in a cool place in your kitchen for up to 2 days, or longer in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, let the cake cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in a sealed container. You can freeze it whole or in slices for up to 2 months. To serve, let it thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
💬 Customizations
Yes! An 8-inch square pan works perfectly with no changes needed. If you're using a 9-inch cake pan, reduce the baking time by about 10 minutes, since the batter will be more spread out and bake more quickly.
Absolutely! This cake is delicious on its own, but you can easily change up the toppings. Swap the sweet potato frosting for a chocolate ganache or vegan cream cheese frosting. For added texture, try sprinkling toasted pecans or walnuts over the top.
🍫 More Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake With Sweet Potato Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 250 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) sweet potato puree weighed after cooking *note 1
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 60 g (¾ cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder *note 2
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 180 ml (¾ cup) non-dairy milk *note 3
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 170 g (1 cup) coconut sugar *note 4
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil *note 5
- 45 ml espresso *note 6
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 200 g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) sweet potato puree weighed after cooking *note 1
- 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate melted
- 120 g (½ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 7
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep sweet potato: If starting with raw sweet potatoes, you'll need around 700g. Roast them on a lined baking sheet for 40-45 minutes at 425°F (220°C) until soft. Cool to room temperature and puree or mash with a fork. You'll need 450g of cooked sweet potato puree in total.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt into a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk 250g sweet potato puree, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, coconut sugar, olive oil, espresso, and vanilla.
- Make the batter: Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until combined. Then switch to a rubber spatula, and gently fold in the other half of the dry ingredients.
- Bake: Add the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick into the center, it should come out almost clean with a few crumbs. If there is still wet batter on the skewer, continue to bake for another 5 minutes as needed.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frosting: Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth and frost the cooled cake.
Notes
- Sweet Potato: If starting with raw sweet potatoes, you'll need around 700g raw (450g of cooked sweet potato puree) in total.
- Cocoa Powder: I recommend Dutch-processed, which is alkalized for a more intense flavor. In a pinch, you can use natural cocoa powder.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Soy, oat, or almond milk.
- Coconut Sugar: Swap for brown sugar or raw cane sugar.
- Olive Oil: Swap for canola oil, sunflower oil, or light olive oil.
- Espresso: Replace with extra non-dairy milk if needed.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: Sub with vegan sour cream, vegan skyr, soft silken tofu, coconut cream, or very thick coconut yogurt.
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