Sweet Potato Snacking Cake with Butterscotch Glaze

When this gluten-free cake is on the counter, we quietly sliver off bits all day long, hoping no one will notice. The maple syrup and sweet potato combo makes it way too hard to resist. — Jessica Seinfeld

Sweet Potato Snacking Cake with Butterscotch Glaze

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the cake

• ½ cup roasted sweet potato, such as Japanese sweet potato (we like it for its light color)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup pure maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups gluten-free baking flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

For the glaze

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch square metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom and up all four sides with parchment paper, leaving 1-inch overhangs.

For the cake: In a food processor, puree the sweet potato until very smooth. Mix in the eggs until well incorporated, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as necessary. Add the milk, butter, maple syrup and vanilla, and mix in.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the sweet potato mixture, and whisk together until well combined.

Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and level the top.

Bake for 34 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let the cake cool to room temperature.

When the cake is cool, make the glaze: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the coconut sugar and maple syrup. Continue whisking for about 30 seconds as the mixture bubbles and the sugar melts. Whisk in the cream. Let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking often, until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt.

Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so it thickens but remains pourable. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and spread evenly over the top. Let the glaze cool until set, about 15 minutes.

Grab the edges of the parchment and lift the cake onto a cutting board. Slice into squares.

The cake will keep, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Excerpted from Not Too Sweet: 100 Dessert Recipes for Those Who Want More with Just a Little Less by Jessica Seinfeld. Copyright © 2024 by Jessica Seinfeld. Interior photography © Mark Weinberg. Reprinted by permission of Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC