Vegan Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting

Vegan chocolate cake with sweet potato frosting. Perfect for birthdays or any celebration where cake is required!

This weekend I had my parents over to show them the new place!

Which means that the house is the cleanest and tidiest that it might be…ever.

After I showed my parents the layout and we laughed about the boxes of American Girl Dolls (did you collect slash play with those as a child, too???) still stacked high on M’s side of the bed, we settled in the living room for to chat. 

I offered my ‘rents and sister a chocolate cake I baked yesterday and finished with sweet potato frosting. 

If you’re like me, you’re always ready to celebrate. 

Birthdays, work wins, sort-of-holidays, anniversaries, MOVING; you name it and I’ll be there with a bottle of red and a baked good to cheers and nom. 

So, yes, this Vegan Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting is perfect for any celebration. 

I deemed it the most appropriate dessert I could think of to celebrate almost one month in Maryland. 

It’s rich, chocolate-y, and lightly sweet with dark chocolate. 

This vegan and gluten-free cake is finished with a 4-ingredient no-sugar-added sweet potato frosting! 

I first tested this cake on my birthday; all the way back in April. 

Wow, folks, this year is flying.

I saw a meme recently with two captioned images– one reading, “Me, still processing 2020,” and the second, “Me, realizing 2022 is in a few months.”

*mind blown*

Yeah, that’s definitely how life feels to me right now; carrying the weight of past change into even more…change! 

Anyway, back to the cake. 

It was good then, but it’s even better now. 

I refined it to be made without any added oils and tested the sweet potato frosting with both classic sweet potatoes and my personal favorite, Japanese yams! 

What You Need to Make Sweet Potato Frosting 

I recommend making this cake a bit backwards.

This means we start with the sweet potato frosting first before we make the base. 

To make the sweet potato frosting, you need:

• sweet potato mash
• dark chocolate chips 
• raw cacao powder
• creamy nut or seed butter
• unsweetened almond milk

That’s it!

Bake the Sweet Potato

The sweet potato frosting starts with a medium to large sized tater.

I like to bake my sweet potato in the oven at 400°F for about 50-60 minutes, but you can play with the temp and time based on the size of your sweet potato and the size of your oven. 

Use a fork to poke several holes in the sweet potato to allow it to vent. 

I’ve never actually had a sweet potato explode on me in the oven, but I don’t want cake baking to be the first, ya know?

Bake the sweet potato until the insides are *very* tender to the touch and the holes are bubbling with juices.

How to Make Sweet Potato Frosting

Let the sweet potato cool slightly, then carefully peel away the skin and add it to a high-speed blender or food processor. 

I used roughly 3/4- 1 cup of sweet potato– but the recipe is forgiving, so don’t stress too much about the measurements. 

Extra sweet potato is never a bad thing, right? 

Add sweet potato flesh, melted chocolate chips, cacao powder, and nut butter to a high speed blender or food processor and process until it’s super smooth and creamy.

I added several splashes of almond milk to get the blades moving on my frosting. 

Once the blender contents look like a smooth frosting, resist the urge to eat it all and bake your cake instead!

What You Need to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake

Here’s what you need to make this vegan chocolate cake: 

• gluten-free all-purpose flour
• almond flour 
• raw cacao powder
• baking powder
• ground cinnamon
• unsweetened almond milk
• pure maple syrup
• nut or seed butter 

That’s it!

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake

If you’re making the cake backwards like I did, you can simply reduce the oven heat to 350°F and start mixing up the cake batter. 

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, and cinnamon.

To the same bowl, add in the almond milk, maple syrup, and nut or seed butter.

I used sunflower seed butter as the neutral seed butter in my cake mix, but any nut or seed butter will work. 

I think cashew, almond, or peanut would be fantastic to mix in, too. 

Stir everything until it’s well combined.

Tips & Tricks for Baking

I used a 9×9 square cake pan for more of a sheet pan feel, but you can use any shaped pan of similar size.

Try lining the cake pan with parchment paper instead of greasing to use less oil and shorten your clean up, too!

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the pan.

My cake was done in just 30 minutes! 

How to Frost Vegan Chocolate Cake

Cool the cake slightly but not all of the way.

It’s OK if the cake is a bit warm when you frost it; this will encourage the sweet potato frosting to soften and smooth across the surface. 

Frost the cake with your prepared sweet potato frosting, spreading it in an even layer on the top with a knife or spatula. 

I like a thick layer of frosting on my cake, so I used the entire frosting recipe. 

However, if you prefer less frosting, save the remainder in an airtight container and use it as a dip for fruit, chips, or crackers throughout the week. 

How to Decorate Vegan Chocolate Cake

At this point, you can serve as is or add some fun toppings for flair! 

Some ideas are: 

• vegan sprinkles 
• cacao nibs 
• shaved coconut 
• chocolate chips 
• hemp hearts
• chopped nuts 

I can’t wait to hear what you try!

How to Serve Vegan Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting

Enjoy this Vegan Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting anytime you’re celebrating, or anytime you just need cake! 

I first made this for my birthday in April and can already tell it will be a classic for years to come.

You won’t believe that this cake is so creamy and decadent without *any* added oils. 

And, since it’s vegan, gluten-free, and refined-sugar-free, it’s adaptable for many different partier palettes. 

Once you’ve enjoyed the initial slices with your party animals, I like to cover mine with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

The cake will keep for about a week! 

Typically, I just store my cake in the pan I baked it in, but you can also transfer it to an airtight container for storage, too. 

Enjoy!

More Vegan Cake

• Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

• Chocolate Ganache Lava Muffins

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Vegan Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

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XO Lauren

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Photography by Hot Pan Kitchen