Pumpkin Spice Who? These Sweet Potato Cupcakes Are the Definition of Fall

Fall is my favorite season for baking. I love experimenting with warm flavors and finding new ways to whip up something sweet! And while I love baking all things pumpkin spice, these sweet potato cupcakes are giving the popular seasonal flavor a run for its money! They may be orange in color like their fellow fall food but don’t get them confused, these sweet potato treats are in a league of their own.

I opted to use Stevia in the Raw — which is an extract from the sweet leaves of the stevia plant, and is also a natural, zero calorie sweetener — for this recipe because it’s so easy to bake with. I swapped out just half of the sugar for Stevia in the Raw because keeping half the sugar is important for moisture, browning, and rising when baking. But don’t fret, as one cup of Stevia in the Raw has the same sweetness as one cup of sugar, so you wont even notice the difference in taste (you’ll just consume less calories!).

You can buy canned sweet potato puree for this recipe, but if you have a little time, you can make your own by cooking and mashing one large sweet potato like I did. You can boil or bake your sweet potato, but I find the easiest way is in the microwave. Using a fork, poke holes in your sweet potato and set in your microwave for 6 minutes. If it’s still not soft enough to squeeze between your fingers, microwave for another 1-2 minutes. Let cool for about 20-30 minutes before skinning and mashing. One large sweet potato is equivalent to 1 cup of puree.

I whipped up an easy maple buttercream icing that compliments these cupcakes perfectly. It’s important to have a hand mixer or stand mixer on hand because you’ll need to whip together your butter and sugar mixture with your cream to achieve a light and creamy consistency. Make sure to add each tablespoon of cream one at a time to ensure you don’t add too much liquid. And if your icing ends up being too loose, put it in the fridge for 20-25 minutes to thicken. Once your icing is spreadable, using an offset spatula, ice your cupcakes and top with chopped pecans for the perfect fall treat.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups gluten free all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted, softened)
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw
1/4 cup cane sugar in the raw
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup sweet potato puree (1 medium/large sweet potato)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

For the Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Stevia in the Raw
4 tablespoons of butter (softened)
3 tablespoons of half and half
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Chopped pecans (optional but delicious)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners.
Poke holes in your sweet potato with a fork and microwave for 6 minutes, peel and mash really well, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large bowl or the bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter with Stevia in the Raw and sugar until fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
Add eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition, and then mix in vanilla.
Mix in 1/3 of flour mixture, then sweet potato puree, then another 1/3 flour mixture, then greek yogurt, then remaining flour mixture just until combined.
Divide batter between cupcake cups and bake until lightly browned and firm, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl or the bowl with your hand mixer, beat sugar, Stevia in the Raw, and butter until smooth and creamy.
Add your half and half to reach a smooth, spreadable (but not runny) consistency. Beat in maple extract.
Use a small offset spatula to frost cupcakes. If desired, top each cupcake with a sprinkle of chopped pecans.