Sweet Potato Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
A tender, spiced sweet potato coffee cake layered with a crunchy pecan streusel ribbon and finished with a sweet vanilla icing drizzle.
Equipment
- 8x8 square metal baking pan
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Coffee Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cups sweet potatoes cooked & mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ cup milk
Pecan Streusel Topping
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold & cubed
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
I always use Kosher salt in my kitchen! If using table salt, start with half the amount and adjust to taste, as it is much "saltier" by volume.
Instructions
- For the Cake Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8 metal baking pan with baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the mashed sweet potato and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the wet sweet potato mixture, stirring just until combined.
- For the Streusel: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Cut in the cold, cubed butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the chopped pecans and set aside.
- Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the pecan streusel over the batter. Carefully layer the remaining batter on top, then finish by sprinkling the rest of the streusel over the entire surface.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- For the Icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make-Ahead Tip: You can roast, or boil and mash your sweet potato up to 2 days in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
- Don't Overmix: When combining your wet and dry ingredients, stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing cake batter activates the gluten, which will make your finished coffee cake dense instead of light and tender.
- Storage: Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 542kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 6gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 302mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 2gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 2792IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 2mg
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