Sweet Potato Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

foxysnana's Note:

I first tried this cake at a homemaker's luncheon. It was so moist and different I had to ask for the recipe. One of the ladies sent it to me just before Thanksgiving. I made it for our holiday dinner and it didn't last very long at all. My grandmother (she isnt a great cook , but is a great eater) loves it.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (may be fresh or canned..if fresh needs to be cooked soft)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans..optional..or maybe reduced to 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Easy cream cheese icing

• 1 can ready to spread vanilla frosting
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Prepare 13x9 pan (I use pan spray).
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all cake ingredients except nuts and coconut.
3. Mix at low speed until moistened, then beat 3 minutes at high speed.
4. Fold in the nuts and coconut.
5. Pour into pan and bake about 40 to 50 minutes or until cake test done.
6. Let cake cool.
7. To make frosting:
8. mix all ingredients well with electric mixer until the frosting is smooth.
9. Frost cake.
10. Sprinkle a bit of coconut or nuts on the frosting for garnish.
11. This can be made a day ahead and kept tightly covered in refrigerator.

Reviews

[Lightly Toasted]

This was delicious. Moist and dense, with the perfect amount of spices. I baked my own sweet potato, let it cool, and then scooped out the inside. The cake smelled heavenly and tasted even better. I used a different frosting recipe, however, because one of our dinner guests had raved about how wonderful caramel frosting goes with sweet potato cake or pie (they were right, BTW)

[~kdp]

Moist, rich, and "spicey". This is a dense cake and a little piece is all you need. It is RICH and oh so good. I took this to Thanksgiving dinner (at the in-laws), they seemed shocked that it had sweet potatoes in it. I added 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 cup coconut.

[cryssi]

I thought it was a little weird, but my co-workers loved it! LOL It is certainly moist, dense, and sweet. I didn't have any nuts...I'm not quite sure what it is missing though - maybe use a yellow cake mix instead of white...