Description
This Sweet Potato Pound Cake is a moist, richly flavored dessert featuring tender cake infused with sweet potato purée, warm spices, and a buttery brown sugar glaze. Perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, it offers a comforting autumnal treat that pairs beautifully with vanilla ice cream and chopped pecans for garnish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour, sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup sweet potato purée
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
Brown Butter Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 3 tablespoons whole milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Garnish & Serving
- Chopped pecans
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and flour a loaf pan or bundt pan to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the unsalted butter and packed light brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Sweet Potato Purée and Extracts: Beat in the sweet potato purée until evenly combined, then add vanilla and almond extracts.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to ensure a smooth batter.
- Alternate Adding Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture in three parts, alternating with buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Pour Batter and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Brown Butter Glaze: In a saucepan, melt the salted butter over medium heat, cooking until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Immediately pour the brown butter into a mixing bowl to prevent burning. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla bean paste or extract. Whisk until smooth and glaze-like.
- Glaze the Cake: Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the brown butter glaze over the top evenly.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally, sprinkle chopped pecans on top for added texture and serve slices with vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert experience.
Notes
- This sweet potato pound cake is exceptionally tender and moist, with a warm spice profile that perfectly complements the sweet potato flavor.
- The brown butter glaze adds a rich, nutty sweetness that enhances every bite.
- Using room temperature ingredients helps the batter mix evenly for a lighter texture.
- Make sure not to overmix once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense cake.
- You can substitute the buttermilk with a mixture of milk and lemon juice or vinegar if needed.
- Chilled cake slices can be warmed slightly before serving with ice cream for a cozy treat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (assuming 12 slices per cake)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: thirtyfive grams
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
