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Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

Sweet potato chocolate cake with moist dark cocoa layers and a glossy chocolate ganache frosting. Made with sweet potato puree for tender crumb, baked in two 9-inch pans, then finished with fluffy ganache frosting.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cake
  • 2 cup flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sweet potato puree
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
For chocolate ganache frosting
  • 16 oz dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the cake layers
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease two 9-inch round pans.
  2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, then beat in eggs one at a time.
  3. Add sweet potato puree, buttermilk, and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
  4. Fold in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt just until the batter is combined.
  5. Divide batter between the two prepared pans.
  6. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
  7. Cool the cakes completely in the pans, then turn out and level the tops if needed.
Make ganache frosting and assemble
  1. Heat heavy cream until steaming, then pour it over dark chocolate chips and unsalted butter in a bowl.
  2. Rest the mixture for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy.
  3. Cool ganache until spreadable, then beat with powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy and lighter in color.
  4. Frost between layers, then frost the top and sides all over.

Notes

For the smoothest frosting, let the ganache cool until it spreads with a thick ribbon (not runny). Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze frosted cake slices up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat butter and 2% milk-based buttermilk if available (texture will be slightly less rich).