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Just 3 days ago I embarked on an exciting journey. My first stop is Los Angeles, California where I’m writing from this morning. The sun is shining, the freezing winds of NYC are a thousand miles away, I’m with my friends, and I’m celebrating two birthdays; my own, and that of this blog. Sweet Potato Soul turns 5! Five years of recipes, writing, and your support. It’s already been a blessed journey, and it’s really only the beginning. Celebrate with me with some sweet potato cake!
I’ve got big plans for Sweet Potato Soul’s 6th year. I’m working on my first published book, which will be a very soulful kitchen companion. I’m also on schedule to release a new video on my Youtube channel every Monday, plus some added fun bonus content mid-week. I feel as creative and inspired as ever, so expect plenty of new recipes. Also, for the next 6-7 weeks I will be traveling to 7 cities, and bringing you along for the journey. Make sure you’re subscribed to my Youtube channel. First stop LA, followed by Tokyo, Japan! After that I’ll be in New Orleans again, Atlanta, and the Caribbean (not sure where yet.)
This birthday has been everything I could have asked for and more. The icing on the cake? You! I am so honored and grateful for your love, support, and trust. Without someone to make my recipes, the read my words, and to watch my show this wouldn’t be as fun. So while I am celebrating my own birthday, I also celebrate you and send my sincerest thanks and love. This sweet potato cake is for you!
Here’s to many more years of Sweet Potato Soul!
Sweet Potato Birthday Cake!!!
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2⅓ c all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp flax seed meal
- ¾ c warm water
- 1½ c sugar, I use a blend of cane and coconut sugars
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple
- 2 tsp ginger, grated or minced
- 1 c canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 c shredded sweet potato
- 1 c pecans and/or walntus, chopped
ICING
- 2 14- oz cans of coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Line two 8×8″ pans with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour through salt).
- In a large bowl, whisk together flax seed meal and water. Beat in sugar and oil.
- Add vanilla and sweet potato and mix until combined.
- Add dry mix and stir until moistened.
- Fold in pecans.
- Pour equal parts into pans.
- Bake for 18-20 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans 10 minutes.
- Use a knife to loosen edges of cake from pans.
- Using parchment paper, lift cakes out of pans. Let cool fully on wire racks.
ICING
- Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the thick cream layer, leaving the liquid in the can. Place the coconut cream into a bowl.
- Add the vanilla and maple syrup, and whisk until creamy and airy. If you have a hand mixer use that!
- Once the cake has cooled completely ice and serve.
- Store cake in the fridge to keep the icing nice and firm.
Hello, I celebrated my birthday a week and a half ago and I made this cake. I substituted cardamom for nutmeg and I used sunflower oil in place of canola. I also used molasses in the whipped coconut cream which gave it a nice caramel-like color. I live in the Caribbean so the sweet potatoes here are different than the ones in the USA, definitely less beta carotene but packed with other great nutrients. It was a perfect, most tasty cake. My 21 year old fell in love!!! I also noticed the ingredient list called for crushed pineapple and grated ginger, but the method didn’t direct when to add them in, so I took a chance.
Happy belated Birthday! I’m so glad you chose this cake for your special day. I bet it was good with those Caribbean sweet potatoes 🙂
I made it for my dad’s birthday and everybody loved it!!! Thank you so much for sharing this (and all te other!!!) nice recipes 🙂 Lovely Greetings from Germany Julia*
P.s: I used dried apricots instead of pineapple which was also nice.
How cool!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
And dried apricots sound super yummy for this. I think I’ll have to make this cake again asap!
Love from NYC <3
Yummy…in the summer, I make a watermelon cake decorated with cantaloupe and honeydew balls for my husband’s birthday. Since my birthday is in the fall, I’ve stopped having any cake. With a few adjustments to leave out wheat, oil, nuts, and coconut (allergies), I think I can pull off a cake for me. It’s been 6 years, since I’ve eaten cake for my birthday. Wish me luck.
Your fruity cake sounds delicious!!
Good luck to you indeed. Perhaps you could do one using rice flour (I’ve been experimenting with mochiko-mochi flour), and use banana or apple sauce for the fat. Check this recipe out. I recently veganized it, and will post to my blog soon https://thirstyfortea.com/2014/03/08/mochi-banana-bread/
Hello from Finland! I’ve made this cake twice now. First just for fun, then to my daughters birthday and tomorrow i’m going to bake it for my husband who did great in his chin up challenge! Amazing blog, love your videos! And love love this cake. It’s perfect.
Hi Jenny in Finland! I’m so happy to hear you love the cake 🙂
Happy Birthday to your daughter!!
And thanks for your support <3 xoxo
Belated Birthday wishes! Happy Birthday to you! Love your website, the delicious recipes and all your insights. Looking forward to many more years and your book!
Happy Birthday , you sweet potato soul !My son who is a pilot, recently had his first trip to China and had a problem finding healthy things to eat. Walking the streets he suddenly came upon a little old lady baking sweet potatoes on an open fire on the side of the street. My son who loves sweet potatoes bought one and devoured it .It was soo good he told me . Any way I love sweet potatoes as well and look forward to baking the cake ! You mentioned in the video using some vinegar, but I dont see it listed in the recipe . How much should we use ?
Thank you Magdalene!! And that’s so funny about your son. The same thing happened to me when I was traveling in Thailand and looking for vegan street food. Sweet potatoes were always a delicious option. I hope it’ll be like that when I go to Japan next week 😉
Thanks for pointing that out about the vinegar. I forgot to add it to the recipe. Add 1 tsp with the wet ingredients. Also 1 tsp of fresh ginger. So good!!
Enjoy!! xoxo
Happy birthday! I wish I had known about this recipe two days ago when it was my birthday!
Thank you Elisabeth 🙂
Happy Belated Birthday to you!! What did you have for your special day?!
Thanks, I had a great day! I didn’t have any special dessert, but I made a recipe from a cookbook I got for my birthday. It was a fabulous peanut soup with green beans, sweet potato, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, and greens. For dinner, I went out to eat with my family and had a yummy make-my-own salad with field greens, chickpeas, avocado, carrot, purple cabbage, cucumber, croutons, and raspberry viniagrette!
Sounds delicious girl!!
My favorite is carrot cake. I ate a ton of it when I moved to America and it has been my favorite!!
Happy sweet birthday
I LOVE it too!! Thanks so much girl 😉 xoxo
always