Sweet Potato Pillow Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

I saw these really nice looking sweet potatoes at the grocery store and I thought to myself "I need to come up with a sweet potato because I need these". I don't know why I decided that they looked so intriguing, but I did, so I started brainstorming and experimenting and next thing you know, I had this super moist, pillowy cake.

If you're looking to simplify things, you could skip the cream cheese filling, but if you have the time, its definitely worth it!

I also love that you can make this entire recipe without an electric mixer at all!

Ingredients:

For cream cheese filling:

• 8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese, softened

• 4 tbsp (71g / ½ stick) butter, softened

• 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar

• 1 egg, room temperature

• 2 tbsp all purpose flour

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

• 1 tsp real maple syrup

For the Cake:

• 8 tbsp (113g / 1 stick) butter, softened

• 200g (1 cup) brown sugar

• 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

• 250g (1 cup) sweet potato puree

• 54g (¼ cup) coconut oil, melted

• 240g (2 cups) all purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

• ½ tsp salt

• ⅔ cup whole milk

• 170g (1 cup) chocolate chips, tossed with 2 tsp all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, making sure there is some parchment overhanging on both sides (so that later you can lift the cake with the parchment paper).

2. Pierce 2 medium (or 1 large) sweet potatoes with a fork. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stick a fork in to check tenderness. If not tender, continue to microwave in 30-60 second intervals until tender. Set aside to cool.

3. While potatoes are cooling, make cream cheese filling. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter with a spatula (or with electric mixer) until well combined.

4. Add sugar and cream until smooth. Now add egg, flour, vanilla, and maple syrup. Mix to combine. Set cream cheese filling aside for now.

5. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice potatoes lengthwise. Scoop pulp out of the potatoes, place in a small bowl, and mash with a fork. Measure to ensure you have 250g (1 cup). Save any extra potatoes aside in the refrigerator for other uses. Set 250g potato aside for now.

6. In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth. Add both sugars and cream until light and creamy.

7. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each.

8. Add vanilla, mashed sweet potatoes, and coconut oil. Mix until combined.

9. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

10. To the large bowl of cake batter, alternate adding flour and milk, adding ⅓ of each at a time and mixing well in between each addition.

11. Once all of the flour mixture and milk are incorporated into the batter, toss your chocolate chips with flour and add them to the batter. Fold with a spatula to evenly distribute.

12. Pour half of the cake batter into your prepared 9x13 pan, spread out in an even layer with a spatula. Pour all of the cream cheese filling onto the first layer of cake batter. Spread out with spatula. Finally, spoon the other half of the cake batter on top of the cream cheese layer. Gently spread out with spatula (it is okay if some of the cream cheese gets mixed in with the cake batter.

13. Draw through the top 2 layers (the top cake batter layer and the cream cheese layer) with a butter knife to create a swirl design.

14. Bake for 33-36 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully lift opposite corners of the parchment paper to transfer the cake to a cooling rack.

15. Allow cake to cool completely before icing.

Brown Sugar Stovetop Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (½ cup / 113g) unsalted butter

• 200g (1 cup) brown sugar

• ⅓ cup whole milk

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

• 1 tbsp real maple syrup

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 240g (2 cups) powdered sugar.

Directions:

1. Start by measuring out your powdered sugar and salt in a small bowl.

2. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.

3. Once the butter is melted, add brown sugar and milk. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches a boil. Keep it at a boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

4. Working quickly, add salt, vanilla, and maple syrup, and sift in powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth.

5. As soon as the mixture is smooth, pour over your cake and spread out with a spatula or back of a spoon, allowing some to drip down sides.

Notes:

• You do not need an electric mixer for this recipe, though you can use it for the cream cheese filling and cake batter if desired.

• Tossing the chocolate chips with flour helps to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while the cake is in the oven.