This Golden Yam Cake has an extremely moist and delicate texture and is topped with a simple powdered sugar icing. This unique cake is one of the most requested desserts in my kitchen!
Looking for more fall-inspired cakes? You’ll want to try my Sweet Potato Bundt Cake and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake.
Although I bake this Yam Cake all through the year, I especially love to bake it as soon as we start seeing the first signs of fall. It’s super easy to make and a great alternative to the traditional pumpkin desserts you typically see at this time of year.
Don’t fear the yam! It does something really amazing to this cake and I’ve never had anyone try it that didn’t love it. I realize that the thought of uncooked, shredded yam baked into a cake might seem odd, but you’re just going to have to trust me on this.
Cakes baked in a 13- x 9-inch dish, like this one, are an awesome choice for entertaining. This recipe creates a low profile, single layer cake that is easy to transport and can be sliced in varying sizes to serve a good sized group.
There’s something sweet, simple, and old-fashioned about the look and taste of Yam Cake that I adore. Give it a try at your next gathering and you’ll see what I mean.
Ingredient Notes
- Wet ingredients: Softened butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, large eggs, and pure vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Yam: A small, red-skinned yam, peeled and shredded. See below for more details.
- Icing: Powdered sugar, softened butter, and 2% or whole milk.
Yams vs, Sweet Potatoes
Are yams the same as sweet potatoes? This question arises with every recipe I share involving these tasty, red-skinned root veggies. At some point in history when the red-skinned, super sweet, orange fleshed variety of sweet potatoes came about, the term “yam” started being used by sellers. Although, technically it may be a sweet potato, the term stuck and there’s no getting rid of it. And, I’m completely fine with that. Depending on the recipe, I use the names interchangeably as well. And, since this a nostalgic, old-timey cake, yam seems suitable here.
I had to chuckle out loud on a recent shopping trip when the sign read “Red-Skinned Yams/Sweet Potatoes”. They’re covering all the bases!
So Yam Cake it is. Yes ma’am. I’m going with yam.
Just be sure to pick up the red-skinned variety which has a vibrant orange colored flesh and a sweeter taste than lighter skinned sweet potatoes and watch the quick video in the recipe card below see the yam in action.
How to Make Yam Cake
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine: Use a spoon to stir the dry mixture into the batter just until blended.
- Add the Yam: Fold in the shredded yam. Spread the batter evenly in a greased baking dish.
- Bake: Transfer the cake to a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before icing.
- Make the Icing: With your hand mixer, mix together the powdered sugar, butter, and milk until smooth.
- Ice the Cake: Spread the icing over the cake while it’s still warm.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Cover the bakig dish with plastic wrap or foil and store the cake at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Refrigerate: This is a very moist cake, so if you’d like to keep it fresh longer, transfer the covered baking dish to the refrigerator and it will stay fresh for up to 3 to 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap the whole unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before icing and serving.
Sign up for my free newsletter for all the latest recipes and join me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more cooking inspiration!
Golden Yam Cake
Video
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 small red-skinned yam, peeled and shredded (approximately 2 cups)
Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a spoon to stir the dry mixture into the batter just until blended. Fold in the shredded yam. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly for 5 to 10 minutes before icing.
- Using a hand mixer, combine the powdered sugar, butter, and milk until smooth. Spread over the cake while still warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Cake Recipes
This post was originally published on September 18, 2011. It has been udpated with new text and images.
Can I use cam jams and just smash them up
I don’t recommend using canned yams in this recipe. The cake was developed with fresh, shredded yams, which add moisture and structure as they bake. Canned yams are already cooked and much softer, and they tend to be packed in syrup, which would change both the texture and sweetness of the cake. For best results, I’d stick with fresh yams as written.
The cake had a nice taste, but the icing was too runny and seeping into the cake. It also wasn’t enough. With my experience making buttercream frosting, it needs a lot more butter and less milk. I will try this recipe again but in the future, try cream cheese frosting.
Hi Malina. The icing for this cake is not intended to be a buttercream frosting. It’s a simple powdered sugar icing and you can make it thicker by adding small amounts of milk untiil you’ve reached the desired consistency.
Excited to try this. Will this recipe work for muffins?
I’m afraid I haven’t tried it. Be sure to let me know how it works out for you if you do!
Your conversion is off. When I adjusted the recipe to 24 rather than 12, the flour was 2 – 1 cups of flour when it should have been 3 cups of flour. Same for the icing 1.5 cups should have translated to 3 cups but it also said 2 – 1 cups of powdered sugar. I made these earlier today and have not cut into them to try them for tomorrow. I’m hoping even though I used a cup less of flour it will be ok. I don’t have time or ingredients to prep more, but wanted you to know. Instead of 1 – 1/2 cups do 1.5 cups or maybe with out the hyphen. Thanks for the recipe.
So sorry about that, Sarah. The hyphen was throwing off the conversion tool but the error has been corrected and it should be working correctly now. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
Hi…. Can i use Purple Yam? Shred it and add to the batter like your instructions. Do you think it will work?
I’ve only cooked with those bright purple yams once and from what I remember, the flavor was very similar so I do think it would work. It might be a pretty interesting looking cake!
OMG!!! This cake is divine. My husbands new favorite. I did this with your cream cheese walnut frosting and I loved it.
I just baked this cake yesterday for my son’s birthday. It is his favorite and the favorite of several others in my house! I love the idea of doing it with the cream cheese walnut frosting! So glad you enjoyed it, Emely and thanks for the tip!
If it’s sold in the normal grocery store it is a sweet potato. Yams have white flesh, are very starchy and are imported from the Carribean.
This is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted! I baked this yesterday. My husband was making jokes about adding shredded yam to the batter, but after the first bite he immediately said that I had to make this again. The yam almost seems like pieces of something candied when you chew it. It’s fantastic!
This is one of our favorite cakes in this house. It’s a hard sell for some folks when you tell them it is Yam Cake but once they take a bite they fall in love. Thanks so much for your comment and I’m happy you enjoyed it 🙂