A sweet potato cake that is richly flavored with maple syrup and nutty brown butter with hints of ginger and bright orange layered between thick maple cream cheese frosting. Gluten-free and refined sugar-free
Preheat oven to 350° Prepare cake pans (three 6" pans or two 9" round cake pans) by spraying with non stick spray.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together dry ingredients until well combined, set aside
In the bowl of a mixer add coconut palm sugar and orange zest. Using your hands or a spatula, mix well so the zest is incorporated into the sugar. You should smell an amazing burst of orange.
In a small saucepan over medium heat brown butter. This is best to do in a light colored pan so you can see when the butter is browned. Place the butter in your pan. Begin stirring to move the butter around as it melts, I use a wooden spoon or spatual for this. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring. In about 5–8 minutes from when you started (depending on the amount of butter you used), the butter will turn golden brown. The foam will slightly subside and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan will toast. It will smell buttery, nutty, and rich. Allow to cool slightly.
Beat the browned butter and coconut palm sugar together for 2-3 minutes until well combined and creamy. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. Add maple syrup and continue mixing. Gradually add eggs, beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add sweet potato, and vanilla extract. Continue mixing until smooth, scraping the down the bowl as needed.
Add dry ingredients into butter sweet potato mixture in thirds, alternating with the yogurt. Beat on low speed until just incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool in pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat room temperature cream cheese with maple syrup until light and fluffy.
Assembling
Place one cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the frosting evenly on top. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with another 1/3 of the icing. Top with the 3rd cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting on top and all around the sides using an icing spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting on the sides of the cake.
Decorate with flowers, or dried orange slices and orange zest. Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I have not tested this recipe using any other flour or dairy-free substitutes.