Go Back

Cranberry Vanilla Sweet Potato Layer Cake

Think of this as a winter cousin to tiramisu. The cake is soft, flexible, and lightly vanilla‑scented with a vanilla cashew cream that is creamy, tangy, and stabilizing and a cranberry sweet potato mousse that just sings. I love that the sweet potato doesn’t announce itself here — it provides body and creaminess, letting cranberry and citrus take the lead. This is not a quick cake, so make sure to plan ahead. It's best if chilled overnight.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 10
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla Cashew Cream
  • 1 1/4 cups raw cashews soaked 2–4 hours / or 20 minutes in boiled water
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk plus more as needed
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
Cranberry Sweet Potato Mousse
  • 2 cups mashed roasted sweet potato about 3-4 medium
  • 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • ½ cup maple syrup more to taste
  • ¾ cup raw cashews soaked
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 3 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon or ginger optional
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ –½ cup plant milk or water as needed
Thin Vanilla Cake
  • 2 cups oat flour
  • ⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
  • ⅓ cup applesauce
  • 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup orange juice for brushing at layering

Method
 

Vanilla Cashew Cream
  1. Add cashews to a food processor and process until smooth.
  2. Add maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.
  3. Process 2–3 minutes, scraping down often, until smooth and fluffy.
  4. Adjust thickness with plant milk 1 Tbsp at a time — spreadable, not runny.
  5. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cranberry Sweet Potato Mousse
  1. Simmer cranberries with 2 Tbsp water for 5–7 minutes until burst and softened. Cool slightly.
  2. In a food processor, grind cashews until very fine.
  3. Add sweet potato and process until smooth.
  4. Add cranberries and remaining ingredients.
  5. Process until thick, silky, and spreadable, adding milk gradually to thin.
  6. Taste and add more maple syrup to taste.
  7. Chill briefly if needed to thicken.
Thin Vanilla Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment.
  2. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Then pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
  3. Mix until just mixed.
  4. Spread batter evenly into a thin layer in 9x9 inch pans.
  5. Bake 20–25 minutes, until just set and springy.
  6. Turn off oven and let cakes sit for another 10 minutes. Then cool completely.
Assembly Instructions
  1. You can assemble this in one of the 9x9 pans or out of them on a pastry pan.
  2. Put one cake layer in the pan or on a pastry pan and lightly brush with orange juice.
  3. Spread a thin, even layer of vanilla cashew cream over the cake, leaving a ½‑inch border on one short end.
  4. Spread a thin layer of cranberry mousse on top.
  5. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used.
  6. Chill 1–2 hours to set (overnight is best)
  7. Optional: frost the outside with remaining vanilla cream.

Notes

Note: Keep processing the sweet potato mousse until creamy. If it still tastes grainy, add a tad of milk and keep processing. It needs to be creamy and silky and that takes a minute. 
Note: Garnish with orange zest, crushed pistachios, fresh cranberries, or a light dusting of powdered sugar and serve chilled or slightly cool. So yum!