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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Can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow. How long would you bake if you were doing muffins instead? 20-25 mins?
Hi Kate!
I would do 5 mins higher heat then 15 mins lower heat for muffins. if you check my other muffin recipes you can use the baking temperatures and times as a guide. Would love to hear how they go!
Hi, I prefer light thin layer of frosting. Can I reduce half of all ingredients?
I stocked up Näak Ultra Energy Purée— Sweet Potatoes & Butternut Squash flavour for ultra or endurance races. I don’t like the taste of it but I don’t want to waste them. Can I possibly use it for the frosting (Instead of using sweet potatoes cooked purée)? Happy to hear from you soon!
Hi Nur,
I don’t have access to that product, so I can’t say for sure how it behaves, but you could certainly give it a try! If the frosting turns out too thick, you can loosen it with a little more yogurt; if it’s too thin, add some extra melted chocolate to help it set. And yes, halving the frosting ingredients is absolutely fine if you prefer a lighter layer.
Hello again Christina!
I made it yesterday & decided to leave out sweet potato in the chocolate frosting. The cake is a-bit dense (I suspected the addition of 1 tbsp ground flaxseed & few tbsp G/yogurt—I’m clearing out my fridge😝), so I knew why it’s not fluffy & big love for the wet texture! I tweaked your recipe by using 9” cake pan, adding baking time about 10 minutes, since my sweet potato weighed 300grams & added small amount of flour. For the chocolate frosting:
- Added semi sweet choc chip as a topping of frosting and double the frosting ingredients.
- Swap the yogurt with coconut cream, (since I omitted the sweet potato; I double the frosting ingredients) and chilled overnight — the frosting was set firmed and much thicker. Love it!
I made this the dark chocolate taste is good and I love the icing, but it not fluffy. It's like a hard block of fudge.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for your feedback! If you decide to give it another go, you could try adding a little more yogurt next time to help soften the texture. It could also come down to slight variations in measurements or the cocoa content of the chocolate - if you used a very dark one, that can make the result firmer and more fudge-like.
Thoughts on using pumpkin puree instead of sweet potato? 👀
Hi Kate,
You could use pumpkin purée instead, but it will change the flavor and the texture slightly (pumpkin is less sweet and a bit more watery than sweet potato). If you go for it, I’d suggest draining off any excess liquid from the purée first to keep the texture closer to the original.
Hi I can’t wait to try this recipe, is the Espresso in the ingredients is liquid or a powder?
Thanks for your help
Certainement liquide. C'est vraiment le petit expresso que l'on se sert !
Merci je vais essayer de faire une demi tasse D’espresso 💖👍🏻
Hi Diane,
So glad you’re excited to try it! The espresso in the recipe is a liquid, not a powder. You can use a freshly brewed shot or strong coffee as an alternative.
Wow your Cake is so beautiful like you sweetheart💋🍷
Wow your Cake is so beautiful like you sweetheart💋
Can maple syrup substitute for sugar?
Hi Theresa,
Sorry I missed your question earlier! Unfortunately, a liquid sweetener like maple syrup would throw off the recipe, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Hi ☺️
Trying this one tomorrow. Would it work with GF flour?
I generally create my own mix, and add xantham gum. Any insights?
Many thanks 🙏🏽❤️
Hi Ana,
I haven’t tried this particular recipe with gluten-free flour, so unfortunately I can't advise on it from experience. That said, some readers have had success with a few of my other cake recipes using King Arthur Measure for Measure. If you decide to give it a go with your own mix, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Ana,
I do the same. Did you end up trying the recipe with a gluten free flour mix? How did it turn out? Thanks!
Hello,
Would it work with gluten-free flour?
Thanks!
Catherine
Hi Catherine,
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so unfortunately I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. Some readers have had success with a few of my other cake recipes using King Arthur Measure for Measure, but I can’t personally guarantee the results. If you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Hi. Can I use white sweet potatoes?
Hi Uzma,
I wouldn’t recommend it, as white sweet potatoes aren’t as moist or naturally sweet as orange ones, which would affect both the texture and flavor of the recipe.
I made this for an anniversary cake. It was so delicious! My daughter and her hubby did too!!
Hi Cindy,
That’s so lovely to hear. I’m so glad it was a hit for your anniversary celebration, thanks for trying the recipe so quickly and for leaving your lovely feedback 🙂
I loved this cake and so did my guests. Thank you Christina 🥰
Hi Niyati,
So happy to hear that, thank you for trying the recipe o quickly and for your lovely feedback!