This sweet potato pound cake combines the rich, earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes with warm spices for a deliciously cozy fall dessert.

This easy sweet potato cake recipe is perfect for finishing off a hearty meal or adding a special touch to your Thanksgiving spread.

sweet potato pound cake on a serving plate, topped with brown sugar glaze and pecans.

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Every fall, people seem to go gaga over pumpkin everything, and I’m no exception—I love a good pumpkin treat.

But let’s not forget about sweet potatoes, which is another fall favorite!

From sweet potato muffins to sweet potato chili, there’s no shortage of uses for this veggie.

When the weather turns crisp and I’m planning a hearty meal, nothing quite compares to finishing it off with a slice of sweet potato pound cake.

This cake is a real treat—moist and dense, just like a pound cake should be, yet bursting with the sweet, earthy flavor of sweet potato.

But the highlight of this easy sweet potato cake is the brown sugar glaze.

It’s literally the icing on the cake, making each bite irresistibly delicious.

Trust me, this glaze adds a perfect touch of sweetness that complements the cake’s rich flavor beautifully!

This sweet potato bundt cake isn’t just a delightful end to a meal; it’s also a wonderful way to showcase the best of fall’s flavors.

The combination of sweet potato and warm spices creates a cozy, comforting dessert that everyone will love.

If you’re looking for a standout Thanksgiving cake or just a fantastic way to use up those sweet potatoes, this recipe is a tasty option.

It’s the perfect way to celebrate the season with a dessert that’s both comforting and delicious.

More Pound Cake Recipes:

a slice of sweet potato pound cake being lifted from the serving plate, showing the moist interior of the cake.

Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

When it comes to fall desserts, this sweet potato bundt cake deserves a place at the top of the list.

The combination of sweet potatoes, spices, brown sugar, and pecans creates a dessert that feels both indulgent and comforting–perfect for cool, crisp fall days.

If you’re looking to explore more fall-inspired desserts, you might enjoy trying my recipe for the easiest pumpkin bundt cake, which highlights the classic pumpkin spice flavors we crave this time of year.

Another delightful option is southern pecan bread, offering a rich and nutty treat that pairs wonderfully with a cup of coffee.

More Fall Desserts You’ll Love:

close-up side view of a sweet potato pound cake, topped with a brown sugar glaze that hardens to a satiny finish, along with chopped pecans.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pound Cake

It’s really easy to make this moist, flavorful treat.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

For the Cake:

Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Butter
Oil
Eggs
Vanilla Extract
Sweet Potato Puree
All-purpose Flour
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Ginger
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Ground Nutmeg
Salt
Buttermilk

For the Glaze:

Brown Sugar
Butter
Water
Dark Corn Syrup
Confectioners’ Sugar
Chopped Pecans (optional)

a slice of pound cake made with sweet potatoes, served on a white plate.

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe card is available below)

Combine wet ingredients. First, you’ll use a hand mixer to beat both sugars with the butter and oil for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and just beat until combined.

two photos; one shows sugars, butter, and oil in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer. The other shows eggs added to the bowl.

Add the sweet potatoes and beat into the mixture until incorporated.

Next, you’ll combine the dry ingredients of flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

Next, you’ll gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and mix on low speed just until combined.

two photos; one shows sweet potato puree added to wet ingredients; the other shows dry ingredients added to the batter.

Bake the cake. Next, you’ll spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slide a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from the pan. Invert the cake onto your serving platter.

two photos; one shows sweet potato cake batter in prepared bundt pan, the other shows the cake after baking.

Prepare the glaze. Then, you’ll combine the brown sugar, butter, water and corn syrup in a small sauce pan.

two photos; one shows brown sugar, butter, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. The other shows the ingredients heated together.

Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioner’s sugar.

Spoon glaze over cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.

two photos; one shows powdered sugar added to glaze mixture; the other shows glaze being drizzled over cooled sweet potato bundt cake.

Notes and Adaptations:

You can use canned sweet potato puree or make your own.
To prepare your own sweet potatoes, poke a few holes in washed potatoes to create a vent. Bake on a baking sheet at 350F for 45-50 minutes. Alternatively, you can boil sweet potatoes for 30-40 minutes.
Pound cake is a dense cake. This cake is a little lighter because the butter and sugar are beaten for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

close-up overhead view of glazed sweet potato pound cake with pecans sprinkled on top.

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 12 Servings

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Name: Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/2 cup butter, room temp; 1/2 cup oil; 4 eggs, room temp; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups sweet potato puree (homemade or store bought); 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup buttermilk; 1/2 cup packed brown sugar; 1/4 cup butter; 3 tablespoons water; 1 tablespoon dark corn syrup; 1 cup confectioners’ sugar; 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Sweet potato pound cake combines the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes with a blend of warm spices to create a treat that's full of cozy fall flavor.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sweet potato puree (homemade or store bought)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a bundt cake or other cake pan well with cooking spray or butter, then dust every crevice with flour.
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), prepare the cake batter by beating both sugars with the butter and oil for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla and just beat until combined.
Add the sweet potatoes and beat into the mixture until incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
Add the buttermilk and mix on low speed just until combined.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slide a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from the pan. Invert the cake onto your serving platter.
Cool completely before glazing.
Prepare the glaze by combining the brown sugar, butter, water and corn syrup in a small sauce pan. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioner's sugar.
Spoon glaze over cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if desired.

Notes

You can use canned sweet potato puree or make your own.
To prepare your own sweet potatoes, poke a few holes in washed potatoes to create a vent. Bake on a baking sheet at 350F for 45-50 minutes. Alternatively, you can boil sweet potatoes for 30-40 minutes.
Pound cake is a dense cake. This cake is a little lighter because the butter and sugar are beaten for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.