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Sweet potato swiss roll with caramel drizzle and toasted pecans, sliced on a wooden tray next to a mini pumpkin
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Sweet Potato Swiss Roll

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword caramel pecan, fall dessert, sweet potato dessert, sweet potato roll cake, sweet potato swiss roll
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 57 minutes
Servings 12 Slices

Equipment

  • 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Thin kitchen towel
  • Immersion blender
  • Hand or stand mixer
  • Cast iron skillet
  • Microplane

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Cake

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg freshly grated on a microplane
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 150 g sweet potato purée about 5 1/4 oz, from 1 medium sweet potato, boiled and drained
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting the towel

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 6 oz full-fat brick cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Caramel

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Topping

  • 3 oz pecans toasted

Instructions

Make the Sweet Potato Purée

  • Peel 1 medium sweet potato and cut it into chunks. Boil until fork tender.
  • Drain well, let it cool, then blend smooth with an immersion blender. Weigh out 150g.

Bake the Cake

  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10 x 15 inch pan, line it with parchment and grease the parchment too.
  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt together in a large bowl.
  • Whisk the eggs, sugar, sweet potato purée and vanilla in a second bowl. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
  • Spread the batter to the corners and shake the pan level. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the cake springs back when you press it.

Roll and Chill

  • While the cake bakes, lay a thin kitchen towel flat and dust it with 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar.
  • Turn the hot cake out onto the towel and peel off the parchment. Roll it up from the narrow end with the towel inside.
  • Cool the cake completely while rolled, about 2 hours. The refrigerator speeds it up.

Make the Filling

  • Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the butter, then the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until creamy.

Make the Caramel and Pecans

  • Toast the pecans in a dry cast iron pan until fragrant. Set them aside.
  • Brown the butter in a saucepan. Melt in the brown sugar, then stir in the cream.
  • Cook about 5 minutes, until the caramel is a rich brown and slightly thickened. Take it off the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla.

Fill and Finish

  • Unroll the cake and spread the filling over it, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Roll it back up tightly without the towel.
  • Refrigerate 20 minutes. Drizzle with the caramel, top with the toasted pecans and slice.

Notes

Roll the cake hot. Drain the sweet potato well. Boil and purée it ahead of time to save a step on bake day. Drizzle the caramel last so it stays glossy.