A Rich Sweet Potato Cake With Cream Cheese in Every Bite

Every so often, we scour the site for cool recipes from our community that we then test, photograph, and feature. This dessert comes from community member SupperStarter, whose mother served a sweet potato roll at the end of Thanksgiving dinner.

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I love sweet potato casserole, I do. But I always get a little disappointed with the leftovers. Let’s face it—sweet potato casserole peaks the moment it's out of the oven; that's when the marshmallow topping is puffy and toasted, or, alternatively, when the sugar and chopped pecans (or whatever nut you use) crystalize into crunchy perfection. After a couple of hours on the table, the fluff deflates and the crunch softens. There’s nothing wrong with these leftover casseroles—they just don’t age gracefully.

Which is why I was excited to discover SupperStarter's sweet potato roll, which only gets tastier with time. The subtle sweet potato flavors mingle with spicy cinnamon, and get warm and cozy with swirls of tangy cream cheese filling. As it sits, the mellow, autumnal flavors become bolder, more comforting. Bonus: The cake’s moist texture won’t dry out after the Thanksgiving guests have cleared out, leaving you to enjoy slices for breakfast, lunch, or a midnight snack.

SupperStarter's mother would make this treat for Thanksgiving dessert, but it’s also a great way to use up sweet potatoes that didn’t make it into a casserole. Simply roast and purée one medium sweet spud and you’ll have more than enough for the batter.

A note: This is a pretty moist cake, which can make rolling it up a little tricky. For a refresher on how to roll cake, look here. Our test kitchen found it easiest to just roll the cake once after spreading the filling. They also let it cool completely before attempting the roll so that the cake wouldn’t tear. Yes, it's a little bit of effort, but the reward's pretty sweet.

What are your favorite sweet potato dishes? Sweet? Savory? Let us know below!