Description
Homemade sweet potato honeybun cake delivers Southern comfort with nutty pecans and silky grated sweet potato icing. Comfort baking reaches new heights in this irresistible dessert you’ll want to savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (cooked and cooled)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Wet Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spices and Leavening Agents:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing Ingredients:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes (cooked and cooled)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup milk (as needed for consistency)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the oven environment by heating to 350°F and preparing a 9×13-inch baking pan with grease and flour to ensure smooth cake release.
- Create the cake foundation by whisking together mashed sweet potatoes, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil until achieving a uniform, silky texture.
- Incorporate eggs individually into the sweet potato mixture, blending thoroughly after each addition to maintain a consistent emulsion.
- Separately combine dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt – creating a well-seasoned flour blend.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into the sweet potato mixture, stirring until just integrated to prevent overmixing and maintain cake tenderness.
- Enhance the batter with vanilla extract and fold in chopped pecans, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface to ensure uniform baking and consistent cake height.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, monitoring doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean when the cake is perfectly cooked.
- Craft the icing by combining mashed sweet potatoes, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
- Whip the icing using an electric mixer, adjusting consistency with milk until achieving a smooth, spreadable texture.
- After allowing the cake to rest for 10 minutes post-baking, generously spread the sweet potato icing across the warm surface.
- permit the cake to cool completely within the pan, enabling the icing to set and flavors to meld.
- Slice into elegant squares and serve, revealing the moist, pecan-studded interior and luscious sweet potato icing.
Notes
- Frost the cake while it’s still warm to help the icing melt slightly into the cake, creating a gooey, delicious texture that mimics the classic honeybun.
- Use fresh, high-quality sweet potatoes for the most vibrant flavor and natural sweetness in both the cake and icing.
- Toast the pecans before adding them to the batter to enhance their nutty flavor and add an extra layer of depth to the cake.
- Swap regular flour with gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version that maintains the cake’s tender crumb and rich taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg