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Sweet Potato Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache

4.2

(48)

Slices of Sweet Potato Loaf Cake covered in dark chocolate ganache lined up on a platter.
Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian

Fall is officially sweet potato season, and this aromatic cake from Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking is an ideal cozy-weather snack. The outside is completely cloaked in glossy ganache, but when you slice into the cake, it reveals its heart: tender, gently spiced, and faintly citrusy. You can use canned sweet potato purée instead of making your own, but you’ll need to use less of it to make up for the additional moisture.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    12 Servings

Ingredients

Cake

1

lb. sweet potatoes (2–3 medium), peeled, cut into 1" pieces, or 1 cup (250 g) canned sweet potato purée

Unsalted butter or nonstick vegetable oil spray (for pan)

2½

cups (313 g) all-purpose flour

1

Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt

1

tsp. baking powder

½

tsp. baking soda

2

tsp. ground cinnamon

½

tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

¼

tsp. ground cloves

2

large eggs, room temperature

1½

cups (300 g) granulated sugar

2

tsp. finely grated orange zest

1

tsp. vanilla extract

1

cup vegetable oil

Ganache and Assembly

½

cup heavy cream

4

Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces

3

Tbsp. granulated sugar

2

Tbsp. brewed coffee

½

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

8

oz. (227 g) bittersweet chocolate

½

tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Cake

    Step 1

    Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400°. If using raw sweet potatoes, wrap in foil and roast on a parchment-lined baking sheet until tender (a knife should slide easily into flesh), 50–60 minutes.

    Step 2

    Unwrap sweet potatoes and let sit until cool enough to handle. Transfer to a small bowl. Using a potato masher or fork, smash until smooth. Measure out 1¼ cups (250 g) purée; save any extra for another use.

    Step 3

    Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Butter a 9x5" loaf pan or lightly coat with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl.

    Step 4

    Whisk mashed sweet potato (homemade or canned), eggs, granulated sugar, zest, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly until completely incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in dry ingredients in 2 batches, mixing just until combined after each addition. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface with an offset spatula.

    Step 5

    Bake cake until golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 75–90 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack and let cool in pan 15 minutes. Using parchment overhang, lift cake out of pan and onto rack. Remove parchment and let cake cool completely.

  2. Ganache and Assembly

    Step 6

    Bring cream, butter, sugar, coffee, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate and vanilla, and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool until thickened slightly, 40–60 minutes.

    Step 7

    Pour ganache over cake (it should flow over the sides) and, using a small offset spatula, smooth it evenly over surface. Chill cake until ganache is set, 20–30 minutes. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

    Do ahead: Unglazed cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Image may contain: Coat, Clothing, Adult, Person, Photography, Advertisement, Fruit, Food, Plant, Produce, Head, and Face
Recipes adapted with permission from ‘Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking’ by Cheryl Day (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2021.

Buy it on Amazon or Bookshop.org
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Reviews (48)

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  • How do you get that perfect crack on the top where the ganache seeps in? Almost looks like a spoon handle or something was placed over it for baking.

    • Anonymous

    • 10/19/2021

  • This loaf cake is perfect! I didn't make the ganache because I thought it would be too sweet. The preparation was simple and the cake alone was enough for me! Will make this again for sure.

    • Anonymous

    • Orlando, FL

    • 10/29/2021

  • Can you replace the vegetable oil with coconut oil?

    • T. Hunt

    • Columbus, OH

    • 11/2/2021

  • Yummy and unique! Did about 1/3 cup less sugar for the filling and mixed dark chocolate with semi sweet as that was all I had. Doesn’t look as pretty as the photo but completely delicious nonetheless.

    • Nikki

    • San Francisco, CA

    • 11/4/2021

  • I thought this recipes was great! I roasted the sweets the night before and brought them to room temp before baking with them. The crumb and the flavor were amazing. It was a little but spicy, but not too much and the ganache gave the bread a wonderful sweetness that balanced the bread. I loved the coffee in the ganache too, that was something I have never done. I would definitely make this again!

    • May-Lin

    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 11/9/2021

  • Decadent, delicious. Flavors are the perfect medley of spices with slight hint of citrus. I never buttered the pan, just lined with parchment.

    • Redhead

    • Chicago, IL

    • 11/15/2021

  • I'm wondering if I could make the cake now and freeze it- then thaw the night before Thanksgiving and apply the ganache day of.

    • AFC

    • New York, NY

    • 11/15/2021