This rich and decadent vegan chocolate sweet potato cake with chocolate sweet potato frosting is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free and loaded with nutritious sweet potato in every bite! To make an easy two-tier cake you'll use two small loaf pans, stack, frost and slice. Each piece will look like it came from an elaborate two-tier cake (with frosting in the middle) and no one has to know your hack. This two-tier loaf pan cake is perfect for smaller crowds!
Easy Two-Tier Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake Made in Loaf Pans!
Quarantine life means lots of virtual celebrations. So, desserts have been family-sized lately for us (instead of party-sized). This easy loaf pan cake is so perfect for when you are serving a smaller crowd so nothing goes to waste. Simply divide the batter into two small loaf pans. After the loaves have baked and fully cooled you can frost and stack them. When you slice the loaf cake each piece will look like it came from a large two-tier cake. We have been loving this baking hack over here.
It is hard to believe that this amazingly delicious and fluffy chocolate cake is made with three nutrient-dense sweet potatoes. Even the frosting! You really would never know it. Every bite is truly incredible! I wanted to make a light and fluffy cake with a creamy thick chocolate frosting that was nutritious, vegan (dairy-free and egg-free), gluten-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free. I am beyond thrilled with how these turned out and will make this again and again. Despite being gluten-free the cake holds together well and the frosting is thick, creamy and perfect for decorating. Even though it is naturally sweetened with just maple syrup it still tastes incredibly decadent. The cake has a rich chocolate flavor that will have you falling in love at first bite!
I love how easy this recipe is to pull together. All the frosting ingredients go in your blender and then chill in the refrigerator to harden. The cake bakes in just 25 minutes and then once cooled you can frost them and enjoy immediately.
What you need to make Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake
The cake is made from nine wholesome ingredients:
- old fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if desired)
- unsweetened cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- baking powder
- salt
- maple syrup
- avocado oil
- unsweetened plain plant-based milk (oat, almond etc.)
- sweet potato
- vanilla extract
And the icing is made from just six ingredients (four of which are used for the cupcakes above):
- sweet potato
- vegan dark chocolate (refined sugar-free) [use code ELAINE for a 15% discount]
- coconut oil
- unsweetened cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- vanilla extract
- salt
Altogether you only need 11 ingredients to make these cupcakes (including the baking powder and salt)! And it doesn't require any flaxseed to hold them together.
You may want to decorate your cake. I like to use dye-free sprinkles. Unsweetened shredded coconut would also work well in place of sprinkles if you want to keep them totally refined sugar-free. Both are optional but always festive and fun.
What are the health benefits of sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables to incorporate into recipes whenever possible. Their vibrant orange color lets you know you are getting all that immune-boosting vitamin A (also helpful for vision and bone health). They also offer dietary fiber and potassium and are high in vitamin C. They are convenient and versatile and somehow serve as both a comfort food and health food all at once.
What are the health benefits of unsweetened cocoa powder?
Unsweetened cocoa powder is used in this recipe and is made by roasting and grinding cocoa beans. Years of nutrition research has shown that chocolate may provide health benefits from antioxidants called flavanols found in the cocoa solids (as opposed to the cocoa butter). When consumed in large amounts, studies have shown that flavanols in chocolate may:
- Lower high blood pressure and decrease levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol leading to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke
- Promote lung health and protect against asthma
- Decrease the risk of diabetes and several types of cancer
- Benefit the brain and preserve cognitive abilities to lower the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease
- Improve mood and feelings of pleasure
- Benefit the vascular system by reducing the risk of blood clots and increasing blood flow in arteries and the heart
Many recipes call for Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is cocoa powder that has been alkalized to remove the bitter taste. This actually substantially reduces the flavanols (about 65% of the flavanol content is lost).
Like most foods, eating the least processed and most pure form is the healthiest. Flavanols provide a dark pigment, so visually you can look for a darker color in your cocoa powder for more nutritional benefits.
Looking for more delicious vegan and gluten-free chocolate recipes?
There is no shortage of chocolate recipes on this blog. I truly am a chocoholic at heart and that will likely never change. Here are some of my favorite chocolate recipes that are ALL dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free and peanut-free. Most are refined sugar-free too!
- Baked Chocolate Donuts with Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- Chocolate Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Chocolate Sweet Potato Frosting
- No-Cook, No-Avocado Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- The Best Vegan and Refined Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate (made in your blender!)
- Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles
- Classic Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Protein-Packed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Homemade Vegan Chocolate
- No-Bake Brown Rice Crispy Treats with Dark Chocolate Shell and Flaked Sea Salt
- Creamy Chocolate Fudgesicles
- Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
- Healthy Chocolate Mocha Smoothie
- Instant Vegan Chocolate Mousse (made with avocado)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Muffins
- Vegan and Gluten-Free Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Now, let’s get to making this easy Loaf Pan Two-Tier Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake!
When you make this recipe, snap a pic and use the hashtag #eatingbyelaine on INSTAGRAM to be featured in my stories.
Easy Two-Tier Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake Made in Loaf Pans! (vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This rich and decadent vegan chocolate sweet potato cake with chocolate sweet potato frosting is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free and loaded with nutritious sweet potato in every bite! To make an easy two-tier cake you'll use two small loaf pans, stack, frost and slice. Each piece will look like it came from an elaborate two-tier cake (with frosting in the middle) and no one has to know your hack. This two-tier loaf pan cake is perfect for smaller crowds!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sweet Potato Cupcakes
- 2.5 cups old fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if desired)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup avocado oil
- ½ cup unsweetened plain plant-based milk (oat, almond etc.)
- 1 cooked sweet potato (~1 cup)*
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Sweet Potato Icing
- 2, 16 ounce sweet potato* (~2 cups total)
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate (refined sugar-free) [use code ELAINE for 15% off], melted
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
Garnish with dye-free natural sprinkles or unsweetened shredded coconut if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two 8x4 loaf pans with coconut oil or avocado oil.
- For the frosting: In a blender combine the hot cooked sweet potato (skin already removed), melted chocolate, coconut oil, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Blend on the highest speed until smooth and creamy. If the mixture has trouble blending you can add a tablespoon more of melted coconut oil to get it going. You can also use a mini spatula to scrape down the sides of blender and push the frosting toward the blades. I blend on low speed and very slowly increase to a higher speed once it gets going. Place the frosting in your refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the frosting to harden.
- For the cake: Clean out and fully dry your blender. Place oats inside and blend on the highest speed for one minute until a super fine flour is formed. Be sure there are no chunks of oats remaining before transferring the oat flour to a large mixing bowl with a pour spout.
- To the mixing bowl, add cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir well.
- In the clean blender, add all the wet ingredients (maple syrup, avocado oil, milk, cooked sweet potato and vanilla extract) and blend on the highest speed until smooth. Pour this mixture into the dry mixture in the mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to incorporate the dry and wet ingredients together and ensure there are no chunks in the batter.
- Divide the batter between the two loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, transfer the loaf pans to a wire cooling rack and allow to fully cool before decorating. I like to place in my freezer to speed up the cooling process.
- To decorate the cake: Remove the loaves from the pans and place a layer of frosting on the flat side of one loaf (facing up). Stack the other loaf (flat side down) on the frosted first loaf. Spread more frosting all over the top and sides of the stacked cake loaves.
- Decorate with dye-free sprinkles or unsweetened shredded coconut if desired. I used these and these.
- Slice and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator to prevent the frosting from melting. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. If making in advance I recommend icing just before serving.
Notes
To cook the sweet potato in an Instant Pot: Add sweet potatoes to the steamer basket in your pressure cooker. I layer three sweet potatoes at once. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker and secure lid. Valve should be on sealed. Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. When cooking is complete, manual release and use tongs to transfer the sweet potatoes to a cutting board. Slice through each lengthwise with a knife. The knife should slide through very easily. If not, return to the pressure cooker to cook for another minute or two. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool until you can safely handle them. Peel the skin off and discard.
You could also roast the sweet potatoes in an oven but it could take 40-60 minutes to fully cook. Here are the instructions for that method: Place a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork on one side then place directly on the middle rack (not on a baking sheet and not wrapped in foil). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tender and the skin is thin and toasty. Baking time will vary based on the diameter of your sweet potato. You may need up to 60 minutes for large sweet potatoes. The bottom baking sheet will catch any drippings for an easy cleanup. Remove from oven and pierce with a knife to ensure it is fully cooked. Allow the potatoes to cool for 5-10 minutes for easier handling. Slice the potatoes in half and split the flesh down the center. Remove the skin.
For this recipe you will only use the inside of the cooked sweet potato - not the skin. Keep the skin on when you cook it and then peel the skin off after it is cooked.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven Baked
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Shanna says
Could you make this recipe using round cake pans? My son is turning 4 and requested a round layered cake 🙂
Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Shanna: Good question! I would think it would work just fine, yes. You might have to double the recipe (and adjust the baking time) to fill your round baking pans depending on what size you are using. This is a smaller cake overall. If you want another option I have this two-tier chocolate cake that we have made a lot recently and absolutely love: https://www.eatingbyelaine.com/best-vegan-gluten-free-chocolate-beet-cake-with-chocolate-ganache-frosting-refined-sugar-free/
Please let me know if you have any further questions. Happy to help! And happy almost 4th birthday to your son! 🙂
Best,
Elaine