Step 1: Prepare the Sweet Potatoes
- Start by boiling or baking your sweet potatoes until soft. Once cooked, allow them to cool slightly and then mash them thoroughly. You should have about 1 ½ cups of mashed sweet potato for the cake.
Step 2: Mix the Cake Batter
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth, making sure all ingredients are well combined.
Step 3: Prepare the Filling
- In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together for the filling.
Step 4: Layer the Cake
- Pour half of the sweet potato cake batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the first layer of cake batter.
- Gently pour the remaining cake batter over the top and spread it out to cover the filling completely.
Step 5: Bake the Cake
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the glaze.
Step 6: Prepare the Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and honey until smooth. Add more milk if needed to reach a pourable consistency.
Step 7: Glaze the Cake
- While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze evenly over the top, allowing it to soak into the cake.
- Let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes to set the glaze before slicing.
Tips for Success:
- Don’t Overmix: While combining your ingredients for the cake batter, avoid overmixing. This can result in a dense cake.
- Sweet Potato Prep: For extra flavor, you can roast the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and adds depth to the cake.
- Customize the Filling: Feel free to add nuts like pecans or walnuts to the cinnamon-sugar filling for some added crunch.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate dessert experience.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Moist and Flavorful: The combination of mashed sweet potatoes and sour cream keeps the cake incredibly moist and tender.
- Cinnamon-Sugar Swirls: The filling adds an extra layer of sweetness and warmth, reminiscent of a classic honeybun.
- Glazed Goodness: The honey-infused glaze gives this cake its irresistible, melt-in-your-mouth finish.
- Simple Yet Elegant: While the recipe uses a cake mix for convenience, the addition of sweet potatoes and a homemade glaze elevates it to something special.
This Sweet Potato Honeybun Cake is the perfect fusion of comforting flavors, combining the richness of a traditional honeybun cake with the natural sweetness and earthiness of sweet potatoes. It’s easy to make but tastes like it came from a bakery. Trust me, once you make it, you’ll want to add it to your list of go-to dessert recipes!
Enjoy every bite, and let me know how it turns out!