Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cake (with cream cheese frosting)
This gluten-free sweet potato cake has a moist, tender crumb flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Made with almond flour and topped with creamy cream cheese frosting, it’s a delicious fall snacking cake.
Ingredients
For the cake
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup canned sweet potato puree
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional), to sprinkle
For the frosting
- 7 ounces cream cheese (200g), softened at room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened (80g)
- ½ cup and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (100g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch baking pan.
Make the cake:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, almond flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and brown sugar together. Add the sweet potato puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, add the milk, and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 50 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; it should come out clean, without streaks of wet batter.
- Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan. Allow it to cool completely before frosting.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake and finish with chopped toasted walnuts, if desired.
Prepare the cream cheese frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Notes
Storing: Because this cake has cream cheese frosting, store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze the cake in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. For the best results, freeze individual slices and thaw them in the refrigerator before serving.
Sweet potato puree: Roast the sweet potatoes until fork-tender, then mash or blend them until smooth. Roasting is best because it helps remove excess moisture, giving you a thicker puree that works well in this cake. Let it cool completely before adding it to the batter.