Description

This Vegan Sweet Potato Coffee Cake is a moist, flavorful treat perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Featuring a tender cake infused with sweet potato puree and a crumbly pecan topping, this cake combines warm spices like cinnamon with the richness of vegan yogurt and olive oil. Baked to perfection, it offers a comforting texture and a beautiful presentation, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Ideal for anyone seeking a delicious and dairy-free dessert or breakfast option.

Ingredients

Scale

Crumb Topping

75 g chopped pecans
90 g all-purpose flour
75 g brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
65 g vegan butter (softened)

Dry Ingredients

300 g all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

350 g sweet potatoes (cooked, peeled)
120 g vegan Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
170 g brown sugar
120 ml olive oil
1 batch vegan buttermilk (approx. 240 ml)

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Instructions

Preparation: Line the base and sides of a 7.5 or 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) fan-forced or 180°C (356°F) conventional.
Crumb topping and filling: Combine chopped pecans, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened vegan butter in a mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the mixture together until it forms a sandy, crumb-like texture. Set aside.
Mix dry ingredients: Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
Puree sweet potato: Once the cooked sweet potatoes have cooled, peel and weigh out 350g. Place them in a food processor along with vegan Greek-style yogurt, vanilla extract, and zest (if any). Blitz until smooth.
Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sweet potato puree, brown sugar, olive oil, and vegan buttermilk until smooth and fully combined.
Make the batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions. Gently fold after each addition until just combined, being careful not to overmix to maintain a tender crumb.
Assemble: Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared springform pan using a spatula. Sprinkle half of the crumble mixture evenly over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter on top and gently spread it to cover the crumble layer. Finish by scattering the remaining crumb topping on the surface.
Bake: Place the cake in the oven and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. If the skewer has wet batter, continue baking in 5-minute intervals and recheck until done. Once baked, cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving for a beautiful finish.

Notes

You can cook sweet potatoes by boiling, steaming, or baking them until soft, then cooling before use.
Vegan Greek-style yogurt can be substituted with any thick vegan yogurt variety to maintain texture.
Vegan buttermilk can be made by mixing plant-based milk with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before using.
Ensure not to overmix the batter to keep the cake light and tender.
If you don’t have pecans, walnuts or other nuts can be used for the crumb topping.
This cake keeps well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
For an extra touch, serve with a cup of your favorite vegan coffee or tea.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American