Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cake (Paleo) Recipe
This Gluten Free Sweet Potato Cake is a delicious paleo-friendly dessert made with almond flour, tapioca starch, and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and pureed sweet potato. It’s moist, flavorful, and topped with a simple maple syrup frosting, perfect for those seeking a grain-free, refined sugar-free treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Total Time: 50-55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten-Free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups blanched almond flour (125g), sifted, spooned and leveled
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch (42g)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup pureed sweet potato (125g)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup oil (avocado oil recommended)
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- ⅓ cup palm shortening (or butter)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp tapioca starch
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper and set it aside to ensure the cake doesn’t stick.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg until well combined to distribute the spices evenly.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the pureed sweet potato, eggs, avocado oil, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and homogenous.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and whisk everything together until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the cake to cool to room temperature right in the dish. Cooling is essential before frosting.
- Prepare the Frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to mix the palm shortening (or butter), maple syrup, vanilla extract, and tapioca starch until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and spreadable.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the top. Decorate as desired.
- Storage: Store the frosted cake in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to one week.
Notes
- For best results, measure ingredients by weight when measurements are provided.
- To make the frosting sweeter, you can substitute the tapioca starch with powdered sugar.
