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Easy Layered Sweet Potato Cake

This Layered Sweet Potato Cake looks so impressive but is so simple to make. Layers of sweet potato cake with a marshmallow fluff filling and topped with candied pecans.

A GORGEOUS (BUT EASY!) CAKE RECIPE

If you are looking for a beautiful and delicious fall-inspired cake but you aren’t necessarily a skilled baker – then I have a dessert for you! This layered Loaded Sweet Potato Cake starts with a jazzed up boxed cake mix and is stuffed with a simple marshmallow fluff frosting and all topped off with a candied pecan glaze! It will look so impressive on your Thanksgiving table!

Loaded Sweet Potato Cake, shown on a wooden cake pedestal with a slice removed and put on a black plate.

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS LAYER CAKE

  • I am using springform pans for this cake to make it easier to release after baking. They are 7-inch springform pans so the cake will be thicker. You can certainly use 8-inch round baking pans. They will just make a thinner cake. Reduce baking time by about 8-10 minutes (just use the timing on the back of your cake mix box.)
  • If you have leftover cooked sweet potatoes, you can use those for this recipe instead of the bagged steam-able sweet potatoes.
  • This can be made in a 9″x 13″ baking dish. Just follow baking times on the back of your boxed cake mix.
Easy Sweet Potato Layered Cake recipe from The Country Cook, cake shown on a wooden pedestal with a slice of cake removed and on a plate in the front of the cake.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • yellow cake mix
  • vegetable oil
  • large eggs
  • water
  • diced steamable sweet potato
  • marshmallow fluff
  • cream cheese
  • unsalted butter
  • light brown sugar
  • chopped pecans
yellow cake mix, vegetable oil, large eggs, water, diced steamable sweet potato, marshmallow fluff, cream cheese ,unsalted butter, light brown sugar, chopped pecans.

HOW TO MAKE SWEET POTATO CAKE WITH MARSHMALLOW FILLING:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Microwave steamable diced sweet potato as directed. Then, mash sweet potatoes until smooth

Prepare box cake mix as directed (with eggs, oil and water). Add sweet potato mash and stir to combine. Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of the brown sugar.

Lightly grease and flour two 7” springform pans (or spray with a nonstick flour baking spray.) Pour ½ of batter into each pan.

Sweet potato cake batter shown in two round springform pans.

Divide brown sugar butter mixture each pan and dollop onto the batter in each pan. Gently swirl with a butter knife. Place into the oven for about 40-45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean.) Remove cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. 

fully baked. sweet potato cake layers in springform pans cooling on a counter

While the cake is cooling, prepare frosting. Add marshmallow fluff and softened cream cheese to a bowl and mix on high speed until smooth.

In a saucepan, bring 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar to a boil. Lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecans

Remove one of the cakes from the pan and place on a cake stand. Spread all the frosting in an equal layer on top of the cake.

marshmallow frosting spread on top of sweet potato cake layer.

Place the other cake layer on top of the frosting and press down gently. With an offset spatula, spread out any frosting on the sides that ooze out. Pour candied pecans on top of cake and top with marshmallows (optional).

Loaded Sweet Potato Layer Cake shown on a wooden pedestal with pecan glaze drizzling down the sides of the cake.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Easy Sweet Potato Layered Cake recipe from The Country Cook

Layered Sweet Potato Cake

This Layered Sweet Potato Cake looks so impressive but is so simple to make. Layers of sweet potato cake with a marshmallow fluff filling!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup water
  • 12 ounce bag steamable diced sweet potato
  • 7.5 ounce container marshmallow fluff
  • 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided use
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  • Microwave steamable diced sweet potato as directed. Then, mash sweet potatoes until smooth.
  • Prepare box cake mix as directed (with eggs, oil and water). Add sweet potato mash and stir to combine.
  • Melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Stir in 2 Tablespoons brown sugar.
  • Lightly grease and flour two 7” springform pans (or spray with a nonstick flour baking spray.)
  • Pour ½ of batter into each pan. Divide brown sugar butter mixture each pan and dollop onto the batter in each pan. Gently swirl with a butter knife.
  • Place into the oven for about 40-45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean.)
  • Remove cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. 
  • While the cake is cooling, prepare frosting. Add marshmallow fluff and softened cream cheese to a bowl and mix on high speed until smooth.
  • In a saucepan, bring 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar to a boil. Lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecans.
  • Remove one of the cakes from the pan and place on a cake stand. Spread all the frosting in an equal layer on top of the cake. Place the other cake layer on top of the frosting and press down gently.
  • With an offset spatula, spread out any frosting on the sides that ooze out.
  • Pour candied pecans on top of cake and top with marshmallows (optional).

Notes

  • I am using springform pans for this cake to make it easier to release after baking. They are 7-inch springform pans so the cake will be thicker. You can certainly use 8-inch round baking pans. They will just make a thinner cake. Reduce baking time by about 8-10 minutes (just use the timing on the back of your cake mix box.)
  • If you have leftover cooked sweet potatoes, you can use those for this recipe instead of the bagged steam-able sweet potatoes.
  • This can be made in a 9″x 13″ baking dish. Just follow baking times on the back of your boxed cake mix.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 52mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I am currently sitting here on hold with my insurance company and decided to look through recipes on your blog. I stumbled upon this one and I had a question, have you ever made this using a spice cake mix or added spices to the cake mix to make it like a ‘Sweet Potato Pie Cake’? If not, I may do that just to confirm my hunch that it would be pretty good. I try to make a recipe as written (I have a habit of not though ), but when I saw the cake mix, my heart went there. I love sweet potato pie and combining those spices in a cake with the sweet potatoes sounds like pure heaven to me. Still on hold, btw. Lol! Going to save this to my folder for Thanksgiving.

  2. Hey Brandie,
    The sweet potato layer cake instructions are unclear and have me a bit confused as to the various amounts of butter and brown sugar, and which amounts go where! Just me and a senior moment?