Decadent Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting and Bourbon Pecan Caramel Drizzle: A Holiday Masterpiece
Prepare to elevate your holiday dessert table with this truly magnificent Sweet Potato Bundt Cake, generously crowned with a cloud-like Marshmallow Frosting and a luscious Bourbon Pecan Caramel Drizzle. This isn’t just another sweet potato recipe; it’s a celebration of seasonal flavors, a harmonious blend of tender, spiced cake, crunchy toasted pecans, and a delightfully airy, sweet topping. It promises to be a showstopper, captivating your guests with its rich aroma and irresistible taste, making it the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive gathering.
Reimagining a Holiday Classic: From Side Dish to Star Dessert
For many, the holidays evoke memories of traditional dishes, and the sweet potato casserole with toasted marshmallows often makes an appearance. While a beloved staple for some, I confess to having a slight aversion to that particular holiday side. My primary critique lies in its textural shortcomings – it often lacks a satisfying crunch – and, quite frankly, can be overwhelmingly sweet without sufficient contrast. Yet, it remains a family favorite for my husband’s side, a dish they eagerly anticipate each year.
When I host Thanksgiving dinner, I typically opt for an updated version, like my Pecan Streusel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole, which introduces a much-needed textural dimension and a more balanced sweetness. However, recognizing that some family members still long for that familiar marshmallow component, I decided to embark on a culinary adventure: transforming this divisive side dish into an elegant, easy-to-make, and utterly unforgettable dessert.
The result is this Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Marshmallow Frosting. It’s designed to impress even the most discerning palate, offering a sophisticated twist on familiar flavors. This dessert isn’t just a compromise; it’s an innovation that will have those staunch casserole loyalists rethinking tradition and embracing new, improved recipes for their festive feasts. It brings all the comforting flavors of sweet potato and marshmallow but in a format that boasts superior texture, balanced sweetness, and a truly celebratory presentation.
The Heart of the Cake: Moist, Spiced, and Perfectly Pecan-Filled
One of the many delights of this sweet potato bundt cake is its incredible moisture and tender crumb. Each slice reveals a cake deeply infused with the comforting essence of autumn and winter spices. Imagine the fragrant warmth of ground ginger, the comforting embrace of cinnamon, the subtle bite of cloves, and the aromatic complexity of allspice, all perfectly harmonizing with the natural sweetness of the sweet potato puree. This combination creates a rich, inviting flavor profile that embodies the spirit of the holidays.
To make this cake truly extraordinary and address the textural void often found in its casserole counterpart, I’ve incorporated a delightful secret: a hidden layer of toasted pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Nestled in the center of the cake, this sweet pecan streusel provides a wonderful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft cake. I highly recommend using high-quality Diamond of California Chopped Pecans for their exceptional flavor and consistent quality, ensuring every bite is a perfect symphony of textures and tastes.
Effortless Holiday Baking: Make-Ahead Magic
One of the biggest advantages of this Sweet Potato Bundt Cake is its incredible make-ahead potential, a true blessing during the often-hectic holiday season. You can bake the cake up to three days in advance, allowing you to focus on other preparations closer to your event. I’ve personally tested this, and the cake remained just as moist and flavorful as the day it came out of the oven.
The key to maintaining its freshness is proper storage: once the cake has completely cooled, wrap it thoroughly in several layers of plastic wrap. This seals in the moisture and protects its delicate crumb. For extended freshness, store the wrapped cake in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, simply remove it from the fridge a few hours beforehand to allow it to come to room temperature, enhancing its flavors and making it even more enjoyable. This flexibility makes it an ideal choice for busy hosts and ensures a stress-free dessert experience.
The Perfect Topping: Light and Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting
No sweet potato dessert is complete without that iconic marshmallow element, and this cake delivers it in the most elegant way possible: a simple yet sublime marshmallow frosting. This isn’t your average fluffy white topping; it’s a perfectly balanced, airy confection that melts in your mouth and adds that quintessential holiday touch. For the absolute best results and a truly professional finish, I strongly recommend preparing this frosting on the same day you plan to serve the cake. The process is surprisingly quick and straightforward, requiring only about 10-15 minutes of your time, so it won’t add undue stress to your special day. The fresh, billowy texture is well worth the minimal effort and perfectly complements the rich cake.
An Extra Layer of Decadence: Bourbon Pecan Caramel Drizzle
To further elevate the flavor profile and create an absolutely unforgettable dessert, I’ve crafted a luxurious bourbon praline caramel sauce. This rich, nutty drizzle is designed to be generously poured over the frosted bundt cake, either before serving or individually over each plated slice. The bourbon adds a sophisticated warmth and depth, while the toasted pecans infuse the caramel with an irresistible nutty essence, transforming each bite into a truly gourmet experience.
Just like the cake, this exquisite caramel sauce can also be made in advance, saving you precious time on your hosting day. Simply prepare it, allow it to cool, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, a few seconds in the microwave will bring it back to the perfect drizzling consistency, allowing it to cascade beautifully over the marshmallow frosting. This added bonus of bourbon pecan caramel truly takes this sweet potato bundt cake from delicious to absolutely divine, ensuring it’s a dessert your guests will talk about long after the holidays are over.
This Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Marshmallow Frosting, complete with its optional yet highly recommended Bourbon Pecan Caramel Drizzle, is more than just a dessert; it’s a show-stopping culinary creation that redefines holiday indulgence. It’s rich, moist, beautifully spiced, and boasts a delightful textural complexity that will make everyone forget about the classic sweet potato casserole and declare this elegant bundt cake their new holiday favorite. Prepare for rave reviews!
Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
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Ingredients
Cake
- 4 large eggs, at room-temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/3 cup brown sugar, divided
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups sweet potato puree
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Marshmallow Frosting
- 3 large egg whites, at room-temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bourbon Pecan Caramel
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons bourbon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
Cake
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare your bundt pan by generously greasing and flouring it, ensuring a clean release of the cake.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the room-temperature eggs, granulated sugar, and 1 cup of brown sugar. Beat at high speed (around speed 6 on a Kitchen-Aid mixer) for about 3 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, pale, and airy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the canola or vegetable oil, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined. Incorporate the sweet potato puree, beating until it’s evenly mixed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
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In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, ground cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Ensure these dry ingredients are thoroughly combined to distribute the leavening agents and spices evenly.
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With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet egg mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Beat just until combined after each addition; do not overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake.
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Prepare the flavorful pecan filling: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and the chopped toasted pecans. Mix well to ensure the pecans are fully coated.
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Pour half of the prepared cake batter into your greased and floured bundt pan. Using the back of a spoon or a small spatula, create a slight indentation or trough in the center of the batter. Evenly sprinkle the entire pecan mixture over this indentation. Carefully pour the remaining cake batter over the pecan layer, spreading it gently to cover completely. Lightly tap the bundt pan on your counter a few times to release any trapped air bubbles, ensuring an even bake.
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Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the bundt pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
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If you are not serving the cake immediately, ensure it is fully cooled, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Store the wrapped cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remember to bring it back to room temperature for a few hours before frosting and serving for optimal flavor and texture.
Marshmallow Frosting
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In a heat-safe bowl (preferably a metal or glass bowl that fits snugly over a saucepan), combine the large room-temperature egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and kosher or sea salt. Set this bowl over a saucepan containing a few inches of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. This creates a double boiler setup.
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Continuously whisk the mixture over the simmering water for approximately 5-7 minutes. The goal is to gently heat the egg whites until they are warm to the touch and all the sugar crystals have completely dissolved. It’s crucial to feel the mixture between your fingers to ensure there is no grittiness from undissolved sugar; otherwise, your frosting will be grainy.
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Once the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is warm, carefully remove the bowl from the heat. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for about 7-9 minutes, until the frosting forms stiff, glossy peaks. During the last 10 seconds of mixing, add the vanilla extract for flavor.
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Immediately spread or pipe the freshly made marshmallow frosting over the completely cooled bundt cake. This frosting sets quickly, so work efficiently.
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Right before serving, generously drizzle the Bourbon Pecan Caramel over the frosted cake. Alternatively, you can drizzle it over each individual slice after plating, offering a beautiful presentation and a burst of flavor.
Bourbon Pecan Caramel
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In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, evaporated milk (or heavy cream), butter, and kosher or sea salt. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat.
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Bring the mixture to a gentle bubble, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and ensure the sugar dissolves. Continue to cook, stirring often, for about 5-7 minutes, until the sauce thickens to your desired caramel consistency. It will thicken further as it cools.
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Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the bourbon, vanilla extract, and the chopped toasted pecans. The residual heat will help incorporate these ingredients beautifully.
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If you’re not using the caramel sauce immediately, allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Before using, gently reheat the sauce in the microwave for short bursts or on the stovetop over low heat, stirring until it reaches a smooth, pourable consistency for drizzling.
Disclosure: Thank you to Diamond Nuts for sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting my site while I work with brands I use in my kitchen.