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A delectable sweet potato honeybun cake with a golden glaze.

Sweet Potato Honeybun Cake

This Sweet Potato Honeybun Cake is a moist and flavorful dessert featuring a spiced sweet potato cake, a cinnamon-brown sugar swirl, and a simple vanilla glaze. It's a comforting treat that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Fork
  • Medium bowl
  • Whisk
  • Large bowl
  • Electric mixer
  • 9x13 inch baking pan
  • Small bowl
  • Knife or skewer
  • Wooden skewer

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 1.5 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for cake
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 0.25 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 sticks, for cake
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for cake
  • 0.5 cup buttermilk

Swirl

  • 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar for swirl
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for swirl
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter, melted 1/2 stick, for swirl

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar for glaze
  • 0.25 cup milk whole milk or 2% works best, for glaze
  • 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract for glaze

Instructions
 

Prep Sweet Potatoes

  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), pierce sweet potatoes, and bake for 45-60 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly, scoop out flesh, and mash until smooth; measure 1.5 cups and cool completely.

Combine Dry Ingredients

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; set aside.

Cream Wet Ingredients

  • In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.

Add Sweet Potato

  • Gently fold the cooled mashed sweet potato into the wet mixture until just combined.

Alternate Dry and Wet

  • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with buttermilk, starting and ending with dry; mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Prepare Baking Pan

  • Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan, then pour the batter evenly into it.

Make Honeybun Swirl

  • In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar and cinnamon for the swirl. Drizzle melted butter over the batter in the pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture over the butter, and gently swirl into the batter with a knife for a marbled effect.

Bake Cake

  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Prepare Glaze

  • While the cake bakes or is still warm, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl until smooth and pourable.

Glaze Warm Cake

  • Immediately pour the glaze evenly over the warm cake as it comes out of the oven, allowing it to soak in beautifully.

Cool and Serve

  • Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the glaze to set and flavors to meld.

Notes

For best results, ensure all cold ingredients like butter, eggs, and buttermilk are at room temperature before mixing. Do not overmix the cake batter once the dry ingredients are added, as this can lead to a tough cake. The warmth of the cake is crucial for the glaze to properly soak in and create that signature honeybun texture.