It’s officially February, and you know what that means… I’m CRAVING warm weather. I can’t wait for spring. That’s what inspired this Sweet Potato Cake with Smoked Paprika Caramel! I love carrot cake, but it’s a bit too springy for this time of year, so I adjusted it to fit into this time of year.
I love how dense and soft the sweet potato makes this cake, it’s the perfect ingredient for moisture insurance. And with the smoky, slightly spicy paprika caramel and a big swipe of cinnamon whipped cream on top, this decadent and rich cake is my ideal dessert. It’s fun, fun to decorate, and just a *bit* impractical, but after you pour the caramel on top and scoop some onto every slice, you’ll totally get the appeal.
Table of contents
The ingredients you’ll need for this sweet potato cake
There are a few different components to this cake, but everything is designed to play off each other perfectly. The cake is moist, the whipped “icing” is light, and the caramel is rich enough to bring everything together.
I love all of the flavors going on in this cake – the earthy sweetness of the sweet potato, the richness and smokiness of the paprika caramel and, of course, the light, fluffy and slightly spiced whipped cream. Here’s everything you’ll need:
SWEET POTATO CAKE
- 220 grams grated raw sweet potato (1 1/2 cups)
- 3 large eggs
- 150 grams granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
- 90 grams dark brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 140 grams avocado oil, or any neutral oil (2/3 cup)
- 185 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cup)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
SMOKED PAPRIKA CARAMEL
- 110 grams densely packed dark brown sugar (1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 42 grams salted butter (3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Why smoked paprika caramel?
This cake is delicious on its own, but it needs a little something extra to make it more interesting. I love a good caramel sauce on a cake, but I also love taking a bit of a risk with new and interesting flavors. Flavors I’d find on a restaurant menu, if you will.
And I wanted to go the extra mile and add smoked paprika to bring this dessert to the next level. It adds just a hint of spice and smokiness to an otherwise pretty rich and dense cake. The paprika lends a smokier flavor the the caramel, which isn’t spicy, but is definitely *spiced*. I try to remind people that nutmeg isn’t technically a sweet spice, and we use it in baking all the time! So I like to think of other spices in the same way – take the risk.
If you’re not the biggest fan of smoked paprika, you can skip it. The cake will still be marvelous, just a little less….different haha.
How to make the perfect caramel and whipped cream
A lot of people are scared of making caramel from scratch, but I promise it’s simpler than it seems! It just takes some patience and attention, but it’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Here’s how to make this paprika caramel sauce:
- Set a small pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and water and mix to combine. Allow the sugar to come to a soft boil, mix to make the sugar smooth, scraping any sugars from the side of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir constantly and add a tablespoon of butter at a time, constantly mixing to combine. Add the paprika and the heavy cream and mix.
- Let this cook another 2-3 minutes, but don’t let it bubble. It should be a smooth caramel. Taste (careful, don’t burn yourself!) and season with salt as you prefer. I like this on the saltier side.
After that, you just have to make the cinnamon whipped cream, which is even easier than making the caramel! Whipped cream on cake is so much better than icing, in my opinion, and it’s so simple to make. Here’s how:
- Using an electric mixer, add the chilled cream to a bowl and beat on high. Add the sugar and cinnamon and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Store in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
FAQ
First of all, refrain from pouring the caramel over the entire cake if you’re planning on storing it for leftovers. Make sure that the cake is completely cooled, and then store it in a large air-tight tupperware in the fridge. Store the paprika caramel and cinnamon whipped cream in separate containers in the fridge. This cake will last 4-6 days in the fridge.
Honestly, for this recipe, I wouldn’t substitute the sweet potato! If you want to achieve a similar flavor combo but don’t want a sweet potato cake, I would try using one of my other cake recipes, then add the paprika caramel and cinnamon whipped cream to that.
Yes! This cake stays moist for a long time because of the sweet potato, so if you’re making this cake for guests, simply store it in the fridge separately from the caramel and whipped cream. The caramel will need to be gently reheated on the stove at low heat. Stir often, and it will be back to a pourable consistency in a few minutes.
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Watch the recipe here
The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.
Sweet Potato Cake with Smoked Paprika Caramel
Equipment
- 1 rasp-style grater
- 1 8-inch circular baking tin
- 1 electric mixer with a whisk attachment
- 1 small sauté pan
Ingredients
For the sweet potato cake
- 220 grams grated raw sweet potato 1 1/2 cups
- 3 large eggs
- 150 grams granulated sugar 2/3 cup
- 90 grams dark brown sugar 1/2 cup
- 140 grams avocado oil, or any neutral oil 2/3 cup
- 185 grams all-purpose flour 1 1/3 cup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the smoked paprika caramel
- 110 grams densely packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 42 grams salted butter 3 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the cinnamon whipped cream
- 1 3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Prepare the cake first. In a large bowl, whisk together the sweet potato and eggs. Once combined, add the sugars and oil and mix to combine.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk into a batter.
- Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment. Pour in the batter and bake for 40-45 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Set this in the freezer to chill.
- While the cake is chilling, prepare the caramel. Set a small pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and water and mix to combine. Allow the sugar to come to a soft boil, mix to make the sugar smooth, scraping any sugars from the side of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir constantly and add a tablespoon of butter at a time, constantly mixing to combine. Add the paprika and the heavy cream and mix.
- Let this cook another 2-3 minutes, but don't let it bubble. It should be a smooth caramel. Taste (careful, don't burn yourself!) and season with salt as you prefer. I like this on the saltier side.
- Finally, make the cinnamon whipped cream. Using an electric mixer, add the chilled cream to a bowl and beat on high. Add the sugar and cinnamon and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Store in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
- When the bottom of the cake pan is cool to the touch, remove the cake from the pan. It may be a bit domed, so use a serrated knife to even off the top a bit (don't cut off the whole top, just any excess height).
- Flip the cake onto its serving plate, add a pile of whipped cream and smooth it out over the top of the cake. Pour over the caramel. Dust with any excess paprika and serve!
I LOVE that you used avocado oil here. That’s what I use in my carrot cake! Can’t WAIT to try this! Enjoy VT!
It’s the ULTIMATE baking oil imo! And thank you! It’s been lovely up here 🙂
It looks so good – where is the cake stand from though?? Almost as gorgeous as the cake!
Hi! It’s from Crate & Barrel – got you a link right here 🙂 https://bit.ly/495TNd4
Hi Justine, I’m a big fan of your recipes, thank you for sharing!
if I sub wholemeal flour for the all purpose is it going to change the texture much?
Hi there! The texture will be a bit drier and grittier, but the cake will still come out! It’s really up to your preferences 🙂
Ok, this was incredible! Moist! Flavorful! Sweet and savory at the same time? Also somehow low effort and in one bowl?
excited to make it for a party in the future, so I can do this whole “cake in caramel puddle” presentation 🙂
Thanks for another great recipe, Justine!
Hi Justine, can I use regular paprika instead of smoked paprika or are they different? Can’t wait to make this.
Hi there! Typically at stores there are two types of paprika, smoked paprika or sweet paprika, usually if it’s just labelled “paprika” it will be smoked, so you should be fine to use anything labelled that way 🙂
Hi Justine!
This looks amazing – definitely something my mum would love. I want to make it for her as a surprise but I need to transport it to her house. Can I make the caramel and keep it separately, so I can pour when I get there? I wasn’t sure if it would solidify if I did that, or if it would still be pourable!
Thanks!
Hi! Great news, it stays pourable! It might firm up to a scoopable texture while it’s in transport (think pudding), but just heat it up gently on the stove or in the microwave and it will be ready to pour when you need it.
Hi – this looks amazing – can I substitute gluten free flour like oat or almond? Thanks
Hi there! I haven’t personally tested it, and those flours tend to absorb a lot of moisture, so I would be nervous about it with this particular cake. If you are GF, I’d recommend a 1:1 sub like the GF flour from King Arthur Baking!
This is such a good cake
I am in love
This cake was phenomenal! I saw it on your YouTube shorts feed and was instantly excited to try it. Made it for the superbowl party and it was a hit! I didn’t have smoked paprika at home but I did have some chipotle adobados which have a really nice smoky spice, and the caramel was hard not to eat by the spoonful. Definitely my new favourite way to use a sweet potato. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
So glad you liked it!!
hi this is probably a dumb question but how can you mix raw sweet potatoes? aren’t they hard? thanks, can’t wait to try!
The sweet potatoes should be grated! It notes in the ingredient list 🙂 Think of it like grating a carrot, and they cook as the cake bakes.
This cake/caramel combo really brought in the fancy restaurant vibe, but is accessible to make at home. Next time I will reduce the paprika by 25-50% as I think it’s a little more distracting than I’d like. Probably would add vanilla or lemon zest to the whipped cream to give it a flavor that isn’t strictly spice. BUT both of those adjustments are just personal preferences, I think this recipe is excellent as is.
Y’all, I know a paprika cake sounds crazy—but this thing is seriously the bomb.com. My husband who is neither a dessert nor a sweet potato person loved this. Is weird and flavorful and sweet and salty and moist and just… mwah. It’s awesome. Can’t say enough good things.
This is the HIGHEST compliment – thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, and I’m so glad you liked it!
Loved the sound of this cake! I had to make a few mods due to allergy and did a coconut based caramel with walnuts for the topping. I added more cinnamon than was called for and included nutmeg but I still found it could have used more! I was hoping for a more spicy, flavorful cake and next time will increase the spices. Excited to make again, loving your recipes these days!
So glad you’re liking them, and glad you like to add spice – I do too, but you never want to overwhelm people haha
I made this cake for a group of 36 at a backcountry hut in ME and it was an absolute hit!! I sextupled the recipe to accommodate the large crowd and piped the cream onto each slice then topped with the caramel and a bit of cinnamon. When I brought it out, I heard audible gasps and so many people came up to our window to ask for the recipe. I was beyond impressed by how easy and delicious this recipe is! Thank you so much, Justine!
I am SMILING from ear to ear – this makes me so happy! I am so thrilled you (and everyone else!) enjoyed it. And thank you for taking the time to leave such a sweet (no pun intended) review!