I made this sweet potato honey bun cake last fall boos, and lemme just say I tore that thang UP. It was supposed to be a fall remix of my easy honey bun cake, but it was too good to keep seasonal or to myself. So now y’all can make it year-round too! I doctor up yellow cake mix with mashed sweet potato and cream cheese, layer a brown sugar spice swirl right in the middle, then spread maple icing over the top. Grab a warm slice and dig in!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
How to Make this Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make a sweet potato honey bun cake with cake mix, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake Recipe
1. Mix the sweet potato cake batter
Add the cake mix, mashed sweet potato, cream cheese, oil, eggs, and vanilla to a stand mixer. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
2. Combine the brown sugar and spices
Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together in a small bowl until evenly mixed.
3. Layer the batter and spice mixture
Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the top.
4. Add the remaining batter and create the swirl
Spread the rest of the batter over the spice mixture, then gently run a butter knife through the layers to create a swirl.
5. Bake your sweet potato honey bun cake
Bake until golden brown, and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let it cool completely in the baking dish.
6. Cover the cake with maple icing
Whisk the icing ingredients together until smooth, then spread it over the cooled cake. Let the icing set before slicing.
PRO TIP: Fresh sweet potatoes give this cake the best flava! Pick ones that feel firm and heavy with smooth skin and no bruises, soft spots, deep wrinkles, or sprouts. Bake them until super tender, let them cool, then peel and mash them really well.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Full Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake Recipe
Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cup sweet potato mashed really well (can be canned for ease or baked)
- 15.25 oz yellow cake mix 1 Box
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Spice Swirl:
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Icing:
- 1 ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and place oven rack in middle position. Prepare 9×13 pan by spraying bottom and sides with nonstick baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix cake mix, sweet potato, cream cheese, oil, eggs, vanilla on medium low speed for 1 minute, until well combined.
- In a small bowl, stir brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until evenly mixed. Set aside.
- Pour half of the cake batter into prepared pan. Spread sugar and spice mixture onto first layer, then pour the remaining half of the cake batter on top of the sugar mixture and spread evenly. Using a butter knife, swirl the cake batter and sugar mixture together to create a gentle swirl pattern (don’t completely mix together).
- Bake until golden brown and the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 27-29 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes.
- While cooling, make the icing by whisking together confectioners’ sugar, milk, and maple syrup until thick and smooth.
- Once cool, pour and spread icing over the cake and let sit until the icing has set, about 10 minutes. Cut into 24 slices, serve and enjoy!
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep the cake tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let a slice sit at room temp for a few minutes before serving so it softens.
- Freezer: This cake freezes best without the icing. Wrap the whole unglazed cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, bring to room temperature, then add the maple icing.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Measure the sweet potato after mashing. Sweet potatoes come in all different sizes, so don’t try to eyeball how many you need. Mash them first, spoon the mash into your measuring cup, and level it off.
- Mash the sweet potato until smooth before adding it to the batter. If it’s extra stringy, blend it in a food processor for 15-20 seconds or press it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Always use room-temperature eggs and cream cheese. Set the eggs out and cut the cream cheese into small cubes about 30 minutes before mixing. To soften the cream cheese faster, remove the wrapper and microwave it for 5 seconds at a time until soft but not melted.
- Grease every inch of the pan. Make sure you hit the bottom, sides, and corners with baking spray. That brown sugar swirl gets sticky while it bakes!
Recipe Help
Yep boos! Just drain them really well so they don’t thin out the batter. And make sure you grab plain canned sweet potatoes, not sweet potato pie filling. That already has sugar and spices added, and it will throw off the whole recipe.
That usually means the center needed more time in the oven or the sweet potatoes were too moist. Drain canned potatoes well and don’t pull the cake until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
The cake has to be completely cool before you ice it. If the icing already looks too thin in the bowl, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar one tablespoon at a time.
pinterest 
facebook 
twitter 
email
This is a great cake! I made it for my family and they loved it, even my wife who doesn’t really like cake and my son that doesn’t like sweet potatoes. Great recipe!
That makes me so happy to hear. Thank you for sharing that with me. Winning over someone who doesn’t even like cake or sweet potatoes is the best compliment. I’m so glad it was a hit with your family and that you trusted this recipe for them.
Your recipe is very similar to my family’s recipe. From my experience, baked red Garnet sweet potatoes give it a nice sweetness. If you want to mix it up, I used purple sweet potatoes and the flavor was a sweet nuttiness.
That sounds amazing, thank you so much for sharing your tips! I love using red Garnet sweet potatoes too for that natural sweetness, and now I need to try the purple ones. That sweet, nutty flavor sounds incredible. Appreciate you adding your experience here!
Sorry, this is not a reply as I haven’t made the buns yet. But I have a question, my granddaughter is allergic to ginger, is there another spice I substitute the ginger for?
You can leave it out if you would prefer and add more cinnamon and nutmeg.
Omg I made this and it was so good!!! It’s so soft and it melts in your mouth almost like a cheesecake!
Thanks so much, doll! I agree, the texture is soo amazing!
Hi Jocelyn
Can I substitute vegetable oil with Avocado oil. I really thought I had some vegetable oil on hand.
Thank You for this wonderful recipe.
Yes, you can absolutely use avocado oil instead of vegetable oil! It’s a great substitute and won’t change the texture of the cake the flavor might be slightly richer, but it’ll still bake up beautifully. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
How deep is your 9×13 baking dish, or could it be made in a different size pan? Thanks, BTW, you have some of the most delicious recipes, certainly ones I’ve never heard of here in the UK
Thank you so much, that means a lot! I use a standard 9×13-inch baking dish that’s about 2 inches deep. You can make it in a different-sized pan if you’d like; just keep an eye on the baking time, since thinner or smaller pans may cook a bit faster.
Can I substitute the sweet potatoe to pumkin.
Yep you can used canned pumpkin.
Easy and delicious!! Never heard of this type cake before..was searching for birthday cake for my son…who doesn’t like cake lol..he looooved this! Thanks so much..it was so good..think I will be making another in about a day or so .
Yay, so happy to hear that he liked the cake!!
I actually have a question. Could it be made in a bundt cake pan? If so, what should be done differently if anything?
I don’t recommend making this one in a Bundt pan, but you can make my Sweet Potato Pound Cake Recipe
My family loved this cake. I will definitely make it again!!
Yay! So glad to hear that!