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Sweet Potato Cake For A Sweet New Tradition

Sweet Potato Cake For A Sweet New Tradition

Hearty root vegetables are a staple for fall and winter. We love them roasted or mashed with savory seasonings, but sweet potatoes are also the perfect nutrient-dense vegetable to add to any sweet dessert. They pair so well with fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. This sweet potato cake is delicious enough to enjoy as dessert or the perfect pairing with tea at breakfast.

Healthy fats that also taste delicious

You can use ghee or coconut oil to make this recipe. We love both fats as a healthy option. Coconut oil contains beneficial saturated fats, which can help boost your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently. This is important so that your body can utilize fat effectively as an energy source. The reason why coconut oil is easily useable as energy is because it is comprised of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are shorter than many other fats, meaning they go straight to the liver where they can be used for immediate energy. They can also be turned into ketones, which research shows can have a positive impact on brain health.

This is one reason why many people will blend coconut oil or ghee directly into their morning coffee or matcha to help provide dense, usable energy without consuming a full breakfast. It’s popular to pair this with intermittent fasting (the concept of going 12+ hours without eating) since it allows you to take in some energy without adding solid food and completely breaking a fast. Coconut oil is also dense with lauric acid, which produces monolaurin after it is digested. This compound can help provide a good immune response, making it a great food to consume year-round but especially during cold season.

Sweet potatoes for the win

We love both the flavor and the nutrients sweet potatoes add to this bundt cake. You’ll get a healthy dose of fiber in this sweet potato cake with the addition of sweet potatoes which helps keep digestion regular. Sweet potatoes also help feed healthy gut bacteria. They’re also high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts to vitamin A once digested. It’s also important to consume beta carotene with a dose of fat since vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin (another benefit of using coconut oil or ghee in this recipe).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1/3 cup coconut palm nectar or maple syrup

1/2 cup ghee or coconut oil

1.5 cups mashed sweet potato (about 2-3 sweet potatoes)

2.5 cups gluten-free flour

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

2.5 teaspoon baking powder

1.5 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup almond milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional glaze:

1/2 cup coconut cream (canned full-fat)

2 tablespoons coconut nectar

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Peel sweet potatoes. Boil or steam sweet potatoes until they are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Mash potatoes and measure out 1.5 cups.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

Thoroughly cream together (or use a high-speed blender) coconut palm sugar, maple syrup, ghee, almond milk, sweet potato, and vanilla. Slowly add to the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Pour batter into a greased bundt cake pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the sweet potato cake cool before serving. If using the glaze, whisk together ingredients and drizzle once cake is fully cooled.

Recipe and photography by Kaitlyn Noble

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