Name: Sweet Potato Loaf Cake With Dark Chocolate Ganache
Yield: 12 Servings
Ingredients: 1 lb. sweet potatoes (2–3 medium), peeled, cut into 1" pieces, or 1 cup (250 g) canned sweet potato purée; Unsalted butter or nonstick vegetable oil spray (for pan); 2½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour; 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 1 tsp. baking powder; ½ tsp. baking soda; 2 tsp. ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; ¼ tsp. ground cloves; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar; 2 tsp. finely grated orange zest; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 cup vegetable oil; ½ cup heavy cream; 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces; 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar; 2 Tbsp. brewed coffee; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 8 oz. (227 g) bittersweet chocolate; ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Slices of Sweet Potato Loaf Cake covered in dark chocolate ganache lined up on a platter.

Photograph by Christopher Testani, Food styling by Victoria Granof, prop styling by Alex Brannian

Fall is officially sweet potato season, and this aromatic cake from Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking is an ideal cozy-weather snack. The outside is completely cloaked in glossy ganache, but when you slice into the cake, it reveals its heart: tender, gently spiced, and faintly citrusy. You can use canned sweet potato purée instead of making your own, but you’ll need to use less of it to make up for the additional moisture.