Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Topping – Cupcake of the Month

So yeah…has anyone seen the month of April because I can’t find it!  It can’t possibly be over!  Somehow I missed posting this before April was over and now it’s May.  So since we are all friends here…why don’t we just PRETEND it’s still April and PRETEND like I don’t just let months slip by without me knowing!  Okay? Okay! 🙂

This little beauty is a Sweet Potato Cupcake with Marshmallow Topping!  In our Bountiful Baskets for the past couple of  weeks we got sweet potatoes.  Now other than making them into fries, I really had NO idea what to do with them.  I’d  heard of Sweet Potato Pie and wondered if I could do a cupcake version.  I searched the internet to find a great recipe and found one on Annie’s Eats.  She used a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, which I adapted a little and then a frosting recipe from Lovin’ From The Oven that she adapted a little.  So here’s how you make this marvelous treat!

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl mix together and set aside.

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat in the eggs, one at a time and be sure to scrape the sides down after each egg.

Next add in 2 cups of pureed sweet potatoes* and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until combined.

Mix on low while adding your dry mixture, mixing until just incorporated.

Line your cupcake pan with liners and fill with batter.  These cupcakes do not raise very much so I filled mine to about 1/2 inch from the top of the liner.  This recipe will yield 24 cupcakes.

*I know you can get canned pureed sweet potatoes, but since I had them on had I just boiled them, peeled them and pureed them in my food processor!  It took about 4 sweet potatoes to get a little more than 2 cups.

Bake for 18-22 mins.  A toothpick will come out clean when done.

See how beautiful they turned out! 🙂

Let them cool about 5 mins and then put them on a rack to finish cooling.  While your cupcakes are cooling you can make your marshmallow topping.  I can’t bring myself to call it a frosting because it’s seriously like eating a perfectly fire roasted marshmallow.  A firm outside with a warm, gooey inside!

In a double boiler whisk 8 egg whites, 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.  Whisk frequently until the mixture reaches about 160°F.  Transfer to a mixing bowl, using a whisk attachment whisk starting on low gradually increasing to medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks form.  Mix in 2 teaspoons of vanilla until just combined.

Now that your cupcakes are cooled, you can top them.  Before topping them, I moved them all to a cookie sheet and set my oven to broil on low.  I used a disposable pastry bag and just cut the tip off of it.  I made a HUGE mess while doing this…so if you do too, that’s okay! 🙂  Once you have your cupcakes topped,  sprinkle them with a bit of ground nutmeg and put them in the oven on the middle rack. Broil on LOW for a few minutes to brown the top.  It really does only take a few minutes so keep a close eye on them!  Pull them out and let them cool for a few minutes and they are ready to eat!  

These taste very much like a pumpkin type cake to me.  Dense and moist and delicious!

I’ve had as many people as I could try these and they all agree that they are super yummy!  I hope you enjoy them too!

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