Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Hypothetically, the best thing about Thanksgiving is the amount of choices you have when it comes to your plate.  Yams or potatoes? Cranberry sauce or gravy?  Cake or pie?  However, does anyone ever choose one over the other?  I sure don’t. I pile my plate with full servings of everything and finish it clean.  Then, when my pants are unbuttoned and I place my hands on the six month food baby I’ve created in my stomach, I start to think, maybe I should’ve cut back. That’s why you have to bake all your desserts in the mini.  It’s faster, cuter, and you feel less guilty if you decide to sample all of the desserts.

Originally, this recipe was for a 2-layer cake.  I reduced the recipe in half and made cupcakes instead.  I planned on frosting them, but decided not to because they tasted wonderful plain.  I was actually stunned at how beautiful they looked when I opened the oven door.  They rose to the right height and turned the right shade of golden brown.  With speckles of cranberry red, they captured the essence of fall and the feeling of Thanksgiving.

Not only did they look great, but they tasted like fall too.  Grounded, moist, and sweet enough to make it a humble cake.  I halved the sugar amount from the original recipe, but if you lessoned it even more, substituted some whole wheat flour, and added maybe some oats, I think they would make a great muffin!

If I were to make these for Thanksgiving, I would half the recipe again and make them even smaller, mini cupcakes! (Have you noticed, I love my cakes small?)

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Adapted from Bon Appetit

1 lb sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roast sweet potatoes for 1 hour, until they are soft and a fork pierces through easily.  Cool and peel potatoes.  Measure out 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes.

Place muffin cups in muffin tins.  In a bowl, which together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  In another bowl, mix oil and sugar until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time, then add mashed sweet potatoes.  Mix in half the flour.  Once incorporated, add the rest of the flour.  Fold in the walnuts and cranberries.  Fill the muffin tins and bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool on racks.