Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake

This sweet potato honey bun cake starts with yellow cake mix and real baked sweet potatoes, then gets layered with a brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecan swirl before baking. The sweet potato gives the cake a noticeable flavor and keeps the crumb moist, while the swirl stays distinct enough that you can see and taste it in every slice.

I prefer baking the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them or relying on canned sweet potatoes because the flavor comes through much stronger. Once the cake comes out of the oven, the glaze is spread over it while it’s still warm so it goes on easily, then sets into a thin icing as the cake cools.

Sweet Potato Tip for the Best Flavor

For the strongest sweet potato flavor, I recommend baking the sweet potatoes before mashing them. I’ve used sweet potatoes in desserts for years, including sweet potato casserole, and I consistently get a more noticeable flavor from freshly baked sweet potatoes than canned.

Bake the sweet potatoes until completely tender, let them cool enough to handle, then remove the skins and mash until smooth. Measure 1 cup of mashed sweet potato for the cake.

Canned sweet potatoes can work when convenience matters, but for this cake I prefer baking them because the sweet potato is supposed to be an actual flavor in the finished cake—not just an ingredient adding moisture.

How To Make Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake

1. Prepare the sweet potatoes. Bake the sweet potatoes until completely tender, then let them cool enough to handle. Remove the skins, mash until smooth, and measure 1 cup for the cake.
2. Preheat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
3. Mix the cake batter. In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato, eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Add the yellow cake mix and stir until everything is combined.
4. Make the center swirl. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped pecans.
5. Layer the cake. Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar and pecan mixture evenly over the batter, then spread the remaining cake batter over the top.
6. Create the swirl. Run a knife gently through the layers a few times. Don’t completely mix them together—you want the brown sugar and pecan mixture to remain a distinct swirl that you can see and taste after baking.
7. Bake. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the center is cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
9. Glaze while warm. Let the cake cool briefly, but spread the glaze over it while it is still warm. The warmth makes the glaze easier to spread across the cake, and it will set into a thin icing as the cake finishes cooling.
10. Cool and serve. Let the cake cool and the glaze set before slicing.

Make Ahead and Storage

This cake works well for making ahead. Bake and glaze it, then let it cool completely before covering and refrigerating overnight. Keeping the cake whole until you’re ready to serve also helps protect the cut edges from drying out.

For leftovers, keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for freshness.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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