{Gluten-Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free}
So I know you’re probably here because you’re wondering what kind of cake is made with sweet potato and chocolate pudding… right? Well, I’ll tell you — a perfectly scrumptious gluten-free vegan sweet potato cake with chocolate pudding frosting to enjoy on a cozy autumn night in! I’m not sure why, but I just knew that my pudding would taste delicious as a frosting on this cake, and it is 
— it’s all soft and gooey in all the right ways, and it absorbs into cake in the center quite nicely if you layer your cake. The sweet potato and spices make the cake taste like fall. And don’t worry, nobody will know there’s any vegetable hiding in it, I promise . No one has ever guessed the secret ingredient amongst the friends and family I’ve shared it with, and everyone has been completely surprised to find it’s sweet potato and just how much of it is in there! I’d say that’s a definite pass on that front .
Note: I like to make a smaller cake with this recipe as I find that it dries out the longer it stays in the fridge (though it keeps well for a few days and freezes well too). I made it a 2 layer 6″ cake this time around, but I typically make it as a simple single layer larger cake (it looks really pretty like that too and is personally my favorite way to eat it). It works really well as frosted muffins too. So take your pick as to size and shape and follow my lead…
Gluten-Free Vegan Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Pudding Frosting Recipe:
*Makes a 2 layer 6″ cake, or a single layer larger cake, or muffins — see notes above for more details.
Pudding Frosting Ingredients:
3/4 cup raw cashews, pre-soaked overnight or at least for a few hours (or if in a hurry, cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
1/4 cup unsweetened apple butter (I used my DIY apple butter recipe, but store-bought would work fine too)
1/4 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sweet potato puree (I used most of a 15oz can for this recipe with the rest going into the frosting. Some freshly baked and mashed sweet potato would work well too)
3 tbsp olive oil (or any other cooking oil)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or a liquid sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1/16 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt
1 cup all purpose gluten-free flour mix (I used Bob’s Red Mill. Alternatively, you can use 3/4 cup rice flour + 1/4 cup potato or tapioca starch)
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp guar gum
Optional Topping Ingredients:
Some chocolate coated amaranth or quinoa balls (I got some really amazing dairy-free ones at my local health food shop)
Some cacao nibs (highly recommended!)
Directions:
1. Begin by preparing the frosting first. I know it’s unusual, but it works better when it’s chilled a little. To make the chocolate pudding frosting follow the directions outlined in my “Secret Ingredient” Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Paleo Chocolate Pudding recipe. Then place the pudding in the fridge to chill while working on the cake part.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Oil your cake pan(s) and line the bottom with parchment paper (I used two 6″ pans — see notes above ingredients for other options). Set aside.
3. Place sweet potato puree, oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, spices, and salt into a large mixing bowl and blend together using an immersion blender. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, blend these ingredients together in a blender and then transfer into a mixing bowl).
4. Add in all remaining cake ingredients, except for the add-ins and extra pumpkin seeds, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to combine.
5. Divide the mixture between your two cake pans and smooth out. Gently tap the pans on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes (or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry). Remove from oven and chill on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then carefully take out of the pans and continue to chill on a cooling rack until the cakes are completely cooled off.
7. {Skip this step if making a single layer cake or muffins} Once the cake is cooled completely, if you’re making a 2 layer cake (as pictured), carefully cut off the domed top from one of the cake layers (the one that will be going on the bottom).
8. Frost the cake using the chilled frosting and place back in the fridge for at least an hour for the frosting to set. Decorate to your liking and enjoy with a nice cup of joe or some DIY spiced pumpkin seed milk
Happy Baking!
xo Audrey
P.S. So what are you making with this recipe — a single layer cake? A double decker mini-cake? Muffins? Something else? I’m dying to know
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This Gluten-Free Vegan Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Pudding Frosting recipe has been shared with Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten-Free Fridays, and Sweet and Savoury Sunday.
The post Gluten-Free Vegan Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Pudding Frosting {Refined Sugar-Free} appeared first on Gluten-Free Vegan Love.