Individual sized mini sweet potato cakes served with a scoop of ice cream and drizzle of sticky caramel sauce are a perfect fall dessert. They are cozy, flavorful and sure to become a favorite treat.
These cute mini sweet potato cakes are filled with the flavors of fall. They are good on their own, but a drizzle of sticky caramel sauce takes them to the next level.
They would be a perfect way to end an autumn dinner party or would be right at home on your Thanksgiving menu. It’s kind of like a cupcake, but served as a mini cake with a tasty sauce for a perfect dessert.
Sweet potatoes are not just for casseroles and pies. They also make delicious little tender cakes!
This recipe is originally from the Southern Living Cake Book. I couldn’t help myself when I saw these scrumptious sweet potato baby cakes.
This time of year our focus always turns to apples and pumpkin. I feel like sweet potatoes should get some of that same love during autumn as well.
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I love them roasted, mashed, baked, and souffleed. I have recipes for duchess sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows and sweet potato casseroles too.
Can I use fresh sweet potatoes instead of canned?
Yes, a 16 oz can yields about 1 3/4 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. You can boil or bake 1-2 sweet potatoes and mash them to get that amount.
I have never had a sweet potato cake though. I knew I would love it.
Luckily we had a nice cool weekend last weekend. Perfect for baking with sweet potato, ginger, cinnamon and caramel!
I was surprised to see the instant coffee in the caramel recipe. It really did add a nice depth of flavor without really tasting like coffee.
It also deepened the color a bit, which was nice. It was a very tasty treat to be sure! There wasn’t a crumb left on a single plate.
A scoop of ice cream is perfect with these little sweet potato cakes. Vanilla ice cream is great, but a scoop of honey cinnamon crunch ice cream would knock them out of the park!
Baby Sweet Potato Cakes with Sticky Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Cakes
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 16 oz. can sweet potatoes drained and mashed
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated.½ cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs
- Add vanilla, salt, ginger, cinnamon and sweet potatoes. Beat until smooth.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 16 oz. can sweet potatoes
- Stir in buttermilk.⅓ cup buttermilk
- Mix flour and baking soda together. Stir into wet mixture until just combined.1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Spoon into prepared muffin tin, filling each well ⅔ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan.
- To make the sauce, place butter and sugar in a saucepan and warm over medium heat until completely melted and sugar dissolves. Whisk in cream and instant coffee. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool some before serving.½ cup butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
- Serve each cake with a couple of tablespoons of sauce. Best served warm with some vanilla ice cream.
Notes
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What an interesting recipe. I don't think you can go wrong with anything caramel tops! Pinning for the future. I'll have to check out this group!
I agree! This was a really fun fall recipe. I am glad I joined the group so far, I think it is really going to push my cake baking horizon!
I've not participated with the Cake Slice Bakers, but I always love seeing what is being baked. Your cakes sound perfect, and topped with a caramel sauce? Oh my!
Totally agree with you serving them with vanilla ice cream. You just can't go wrong with this!
They were really good! It was fun to try something that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. The next book looks like it is really going to expand my baking horizons. I am a little bit nervous and really excited!
I like the incentive of some of the baking/cooking groups we get involved in. They make us break out of our comfort zone and try new things!
I am sure you will do great with the new book 🙂
It is a lot of fun. Plus, I like having some direction every once in a while. Sometimes it is hard to decide what to make next, so it is nice to be told!
Hi Carlee,
Wow I never had a sweet potato cake before and thanks for this nice recipe.
Thanks for sharing this at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
Julie
It was a first for me too, that is why I was so excited to try it! I think I am going to like how this new group pushes me!
This is such a neat recipe! YUM!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Hi Carlee it's a pleasure to meet you and welcome to the group. I am a sweet potato fan as well and I love how perfectly your little cakes are shaped. Can't wait to see what you choose next month!
Thank you so much. I am excited to join the group and see what is in store in the coming months!
Carlee! Welcome to our little group of cake bakers! The sweet potato cakes came out lovely!
Thank you so much! It was so much fun to do this first post. I can't wait to see what is in store in the next book!
What cool cakes! Thanks for sharing your recipe at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.
Thank you, it was fun to try baking a cake with sweet potatoes!
Happy you have joined our group Carlee and you chose a lovely recipe for your first one. Those cakes are so cute and look just perfect with the sauce and ice cream. Clean plates are always a compliment.
It was fun to have inspiration. Choosing what to make is usually one of the hardest things for me, so having a limited range of options is perfect!
I'm so glad to have you in our group Carlee, I can't wait to see what you choose each month. This bake was my second choice after the once I choose. I've only baked with Sweet Potato once but I sure loved it. These cakes look wonderful and I'm pleased you and your family enjoyed them 🙂 Laura@ Baking in Pyjamas
Thanks for letting my join! This was a lot of fun for me to bake as I have never made a sweet potato dessert before and I love sweet potatoes! I am excited for this group to expand my baking experience!
Welcomed to our group Carlee!
Stepping out of the box and trying new recipes I normally would not encounter is exactly why I joined this group! I love being challenged and have learned many new techniques and have enjoyed many extrodinary cakes!
Your mini cakes look delicious! Paired up with ice cream and the caramel drizzle was a guarantee for no complaints! Lovely!
Welcome again!
Thank you! They really were a hit. I have never baked a sweet potato confection like this before, so it really was a lot of fun!