Sweet Potato Coffee Cake
This Sweet Potato Coffee Cake is soft, moist, and warmly spiced, with mashed sweet potato adding richness and tenderness to every bite. Finished with a buttery cinnamon streusel that bakes up crisp and crumbly, it’s the kind of coffee cake that works just as well for breakfast as it does for brunch or dessert.
Using roasted sweet potatoes gives the cake a deeper flavor and keeps the crumb tender without making it dense or overly sweet. This sweet potato coffee cake is classic comfort.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the best sweet potato coffee cake, perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or a snack! The flavor profile is warm and comforting, making it perfect any time of year.
It’s a great way to use leftover baked sweet potatoes. I’ve not been a big fan of sweet potatoes until the past few years. Now I want them baked into everything! Roasted sweet potatoes add a deep, earthy richness that enhances baked goods without overpowering them.
- Moist, tender crumb thanks to mashed sweet potato.
- Warm fall spices without an overpowering sweetness.
- Simple streusel topping that doesn’t sink or melt away because of a simple trick!
- Great make-ahead bake for breakfasts and brunches
- No mixer required, just a couple of bowls, a whisk, and a spatula.
Some of our other favorite breakfast dessert cake recipes to make are Lemon Crumb Cake, Carrot Coffee Cake, Easy Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping, Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake, and Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake.
Ingredients Needed
- Streusel Topping: all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, unsalted butter, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. All lend to a crunchy buttery streusel!
- Sweet Potato Coffee Cake: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, kosher salt, granulated sugar, unsalted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, mashed sweet potatoes, and buttermilk.
How to Make Sweet Potato Coffee Cake
Step 1 – Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan (8×8 square pan) or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2 – In a medium bowl, mix the streusel ingredients: all-purpose flour, brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pro Tip
Chilling the streusel topping while preparing the cake will help it hold its shape during baking. It will stay extra crispy and crunchy!
Step 3 – In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt until well combined.
Step 4 – In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and melted butter until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Whisk in the mashed sweet potato and vanilla extract.
Step 5 – Add half the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Gradually stir in the buttermilk, then add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.
Step 6 – Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the refrigerated streusel evenly over the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Tips for Success
- Use plain mashed sweet potato, no butter, sugar, or seasoning.
- Remove any stringy pieces of the mashed sweet potato, if desired. I have never noticed any once the cake is baked.
- Roasted sweet potatoes give baked goods a much deeper flavor than boiled.
- Use room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and mashed sweet potatoes
- If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Sweet potato coffee cake will continue to set as it cools, so avoid overbaking for the best texture.
Variations
- Nutty: Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel or the cake batter.
- Make a Vanilla Glaze: Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over a warm or completely cooled cake.
- Make a Maple Glaze: Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream.
Storage & Make-Ahead
- Store covered at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze (unglazed) for up to 2-3 months wrapped twice in plastic wrap and then in freezer paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat in a 325ºF oven, loosely covered with aluminum foil, until warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.
FAQs
Yes, I use the springform pan for its removable ring. But you can use an 8 or 9-inch round or square cake pan.
Absolutely! This coffee cake recipe is perfect for making ahead. It only deepens in flavor the next day.
Yes, I prefer roasted or baked. Roasted or baked sweet potatoes work best because they have a deeper flavor and less excess moisture than boiled sweet potatoes. Let them cool completely before mashing.
Coffee cake can turn out dry if it’s overbaked or overmixed. To keep the cake moist, measure flour accurately. Take the cake out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar
- 4 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg
Coffee Cake
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp Ground cloves
- 1/3 cup Unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 cup Mashed sweet potato
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Full-fat buttermilk room temperature (or whole milk)
Instructions
Make the Streusel
- In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.1/2 cup All-purpose flour, 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar, 4 tbsp Unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp Ground nutmeg
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and kosher salt until well combined.2 cups All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Baking powder, 1/2 tsp Baking soda, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp Ground ginger, 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp Ground cloves
- In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and melted butter until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Whisk in the mashed sweet potato and vanilla extract. Add half the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Gradually stir in the buttermilk, then add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.1/3 cup Unsalted butter, 1/2 cup Granulated sugar, 2 large Eggs, 1 cup Mashed sweet potato, 1 tsp Vanilla extract, 1/2 cup Full-fat buttermilk
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the refrigerated streusel evenly over the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.