Last Updated on January 1, 2024
Our take on this sweet potato cake recipe from Paula Deen is stuffed with even more delicious autumn spices and has a fluffier spongy texture.
We still use the original cake recipe as a guide for this one. But, our ratios of ingredients and additions help create an overall more tasty cake.
What Is This Sweet Potato Cake Recipe From Paula Deen About?
There is a famous sweet potato pound cake recipe by Paula Deen. It consists of a delicious pound cake recipe with added mashed sweet potato.
This spiced cake is rich in flavor, has an uber-spongy and slightly dense texture, and is perfect for the autumn and winter season. It also has added pecan nut streusel as a filling inside the cake. It helps add a little bit of crunch and more sugary cinnamon flavors.
And finally, the original recipe is coated with an easy rum-flavored icing. Today, we’ll be making it with real rum instead for a more authentic flavor.
So, without delay, let’s take a look at how to make a sweet potato cake in under 2 hours.
What You Need To Make This Sweet Potato Cake Recipe From Paula Deen
Ingredients for the sweet potato cake
- 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato, cooled
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch of ground cloves
For the cinnamon nuts filling
- 3/4 cup pecan nuts, chopped
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Ingredients for the rum glaze and garnish
- 2 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted
- 1/3 cup whipped cream, room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Rubber or silicone spatula
- Sieve
- Cooling rack
- Whisk
- Cake stand
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Make the wet batter base
Preheat your oven to 360ºF (180ºC). Line a 12-inch bundt-cake pan with melted butter and flour (see notes).
Add the softened butter and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Then, cream the two ingredients together at medium-high speed until they become creamy and relatively fluffy.
Next, add one egg at a time, beating them in well between each addition.
Then, gently stir in the sour cream until you have a uniform wet batter.
Step 2: Add the sweet potato
Once your wet batter is complete, you can mix in the mashed sweet potatoes. Remember, they have to be completely cooled.
And, to easily mix them into the wet batter, they have to be completely smooth, creamy, and very pliable (soft).
Once the sweet potatoes have been incorporated, stir in the vanilla extracts. Set the wet ingredients aside.
Step 3: Make the dry ingredient mix
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and spices.
Make sure that the flour mixture doesn’t have any lumps. And, stir the ingredients so they can be mixed properly.
Step 4: Finish the sweet potato batter
Add the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient batter in three additions. Mix them together at a low speed for a couple of minutes.
Before the previous addition has been fully incorporated, add the next addition.
After the final batch of dry ingredients has been added, carefully mix the batter until it is uniform in consistency.
Step 5: Make the pecan nut garnish
To make this garnish, simply combine the pecan nuts, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients together very well so that they are evenly distributed.
Step 6: Assemble your sweet potato cake recipe from Paula Deen
Pour half of your cake batter into your lined cake pan. Then, evenly spread the cinnamon pecan nut mixture over the batter. Top this with the remaining sweet potato cake batter.
Make sure that the top of the batter is level before you bake the cake.
Step 7: Bake your Paula Deen potato cakes
Bake the sweet potato bundt cake on the center rack of the oven. Allow it to bake for roughly 1 hour, or until a cake testing needle comes out completely clean.
Once the cake is completely baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool inside the cake pan. After 25 minutes, remove the bundt cake and allow it to cool at room temperature completely.
Step 8: Make the rum glaze
Whisk together the sifted icing sugar and whipping cream. Make sure that the mixture is completely smooth and lump-free.
It will likely be very thick at this point. Then, add the rum and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until the glaze is the perfect consistency that you like.
Step 9: Assemble your sweet potato cake recipe from Paula Deen
Place the cooled bundt cake onto a serving platter or cake stand. Then, pour over your smooth rum glaze. Top it with additional chopped nuts.
Serve the sweet potato cake immediately for the freshest flavor and texture.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- To line your bundt cake, brush it with melted and cooled butter. Then, add some cake flour inside. Shake it around to ensure the entire bundt cake pan is coated. Pour out any excess flour and set the pan aside.
- You can also just spray the cake pan with non-stick baking or cooking spray. The butter and flour option just helps add more color to the outside of the baked cake.
- You can use any of these pecan nut alternatives if you either don’t like the flavor or cannot find any.
- You don’t have to add rum to the glaze recipe. You can use non-alcoholic rum extract, or replace it with milk for an alcohol-free version.
- To adjust the consistency of the glaze, add a little bit more milk, water, or rum to make it runnier. And, to thicken it up, you can either leave it for a couple of minutes to thicken or add more powdered sugar.
Preparations Times And Servings
| Preparation Times | Baking Times | Servings |
| 25 minutes | 1 hour | 8-10 |
Wrapping Things Up
Let us know what you think about our version of the sweet potato cake recipe from Paula Deen. Ours is even fluffier, more flavorful, and loaded with more delicious textures that give this cake its edge.