This utterly delicious Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt Cake is a great choice for any of your upcoming holiday gatherings.
I’m ALL about this cake, friends.
First, I love a bundt cake. They are old-timey and nostalgic recipes that I love baking AND eating and this one has quickly become one of my favorites. It has a wonderful texture, it’s lightly spiced with just a hint of bourbon, and the topping is sticky, sweet, and entirely delicious.
And, with the bounty of pie recipes at this time of year, I love the idea of adding something a little different to the dessert buffet.
It’s easy to bake and you probably have many of the items on hand already. So, let’s get in the kitchen!
Wrap a red-skinned sweet potato (sometimes labeled as yams) in foil and pop it in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until it pierces easily with a knife. Once cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to pull the skin right off. Works like a charm! This average sized sweet potato yielded just over 1 cup which is absolutely perfect.
To save time, you can do this step a day or two ahead of time and store the cooked potato in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake your cake.
Use a mixer (hand or stand…whatever you’ve got!) to cream together 1/3 cup softened unsalted butter, 1-1/2 cups brown sugar, and a couple of eggs. Add 1 cup of the cooked, cooled sweet potato and mix to combine well.
Hello, friend.
Add 1/3 cup of the good stuff. This is not an overly boozy cake, but the bourbon, along with some vanilla extract, adds a wonderful flavor element. I actually don’t drink it (I swear) but it’s a fabulous item to have on hand in your kitchen for baked goods and sauces.
The dry ingredients are combined in a separate bowl and added by the spoonful to the wet ingredients. The dry ingredients consist of flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. See the printable below for the precise measurements.
Alternate the addition of the dry ingredients with 3/4 cup milk. A spoonful of the flour mixture, a splash of milk…. until it’s all combined.
Beautiful, silky cake batter.
Be sure to coat your bundt pan generously with non-stick cooking spray. Don’t forget the center cone and don’t hold back. It will ensure an easy release of the cake from the pan after it bakes. Pop the cake in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake just until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean – about 50 to 55 minutes.
The Bourbon Pecan Syrup is quick and easy to make and it is the cat’s meow (golly, gee-willikers). See the recipe for the how-to.
Let your gorgeous creation rest and cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then (using oven mitts) invert the cake onto a cake platter. It should just slide right on out. It’s a beauty, isn’t it?
Allow the cake to cool completely and then spoon that luscious Bourbon Pecan Syrup over the top. It almost makes you forget about pie completely.. .almost.
You could add a scoop of ice cream, but it’s just perfect all on its own.
Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato
- ⅓ cup bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk
Bourbon Pecan Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan generously with non-stick cooking spray.
- Use a hand or stand mixer to cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and continue beating until very light and fluffy. Add sweet potato,1/3 cup bourbon, and vanilla; beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add to butter mixture a couple of big spoonfuls at a time, alternately with milk, beating in between each addition. Pour cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, spreading with the back of a spoon to level it off.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Invert cake onto serving platter and allow to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add butter, vanilla, and bourbon and cook over low heat until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Allow syrup to cool for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Spoon Bourbon Pecan Syrup over the completely cooled bundt cake.
Notes
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.
I hate to admit I have never used sweet potatoes in a baked item, but I am really inspired to try it. Love this bundt. Bourbon just makes it all the more better.
Holy wow this loos sensational. I wish I could have a big piece right about now with my tea. Perfect for the holidays up ahead!
And bourbon? Awseome@!!!!
So if I’m going to make a cake, it’s going to be a bundt cake. No doubt. They are my favorite!! I love the flavor combo here…amazing! I want to make this for Thanksgiving!!
Yes to all desserts with bourbon! I’ve never tried the combination of sweet potato and bourbon, but I bet it tastes wonderful together. (P.S. LOVE the photos of your dog!)
I love the idea of adding sweet potato! Genius! And it looks absolutely scrumptious too…I could go for a slice right now!
This is sucha beautiful cake! I especially love that you put some bourbon in there! Life is better with bourbon! 😉
Ooo! I love a bundt cake, too, and this one is no exception! Love the touch of bourbon, and the sweet potato? Genius!
This looks great! Bourbon belongs in everyone’s kitchen. Brownies from scratch taste so good with the addition of bourbon to the batter and then some over top once baked.
Bourbon and chocolate? That is a big yes from me! Sounds incredible, Paula.