Description
This Healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake is a moist, rich, and naturally sweetened dessert made with mashed sweet potato, almond butter, and cocoa powder. It’s easy to prepare and optionally topped with a luscious chocolate ganache made from coconut milk and chocolate chips, perfect for a wholesome treat without refined sugars or flours.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Up to 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or butter
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the sweet potato: Wrap the sweet potato in a wet paper towel and microwave for 5 minutes. Flip and microwave again for 5 minutes. If not soft enough, microwave for an additional 3-5 minutes until very soft.
- Cool and mash: Allow the sweet potato to cool completely, then peel off the skin and mash until creamy. Measure out 1 cup of mashed sweet potato.
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, combine mashed sweet potato, almond butter (softened if needed by microwaving 20-30 seconds), eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and vinegar. Mix until thick and sticky.
- Add dry ingredients: Add cocoa powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt to the wet mixture. Stir well until a thick batter forms. Fold in up to 1 cup chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake the cake: Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake on the center rack for 28 minutes or until a digital thermometer inserted into center reads between 190 and 205 degrees F.
- Make the ganache: While the cake bakes, combine chocolate chips, coconut milk, coconut oil or butter, and a pinch of sea salt in a bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between, until fully melted and smooth (about 60 seconds).
- Apply ganache and cool: Pour warm ganache over the hot cake and spread evenly. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to set ganache and chill the cake.
- Serve: Slice into individual pieces and enjoy.
Notes
- Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze leftover cake in a freezer or zip-lock bag for up to 3 months.
- Nutrition values are calculated for the cake only, excluding any ganache.
- If dairy is acceptable, substitute half & half or heavy cream for the coconut milk in the ganache.
- If almond butter is refrigerated, warm it slightly before mixing to prevent clumping.
- The optional cinnamon adds depth but can be omitted if preferred.
- To test cake doneness without a thermometer, insert a toothpick; it should come out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/9 cake)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
