Sweet Potato Cupcakes

This blog post is coming to you from the couch, at my dad's house, in Roseburg, Oregon. Slightly different change of pace, from the 70 and sunny climate that I've gotten used to in Southern California.

My run this morning was foiled by rain. I brought warm clothes to run in, but nothing that was actually water proof. I made the wise decision (I think), to abstain from getting soaked in the name of burning calories and decided to blog instead. Maybe this way I won't get sick, just in time to go back to work next week.

I have an obsession.

Well, ok... I have a lot of obsessions. I think I have an obsessive personality. But what I'm talking about here is a completely legitimate and (mostly) healthy obsession. And for once, I'm not talking about running.

Sweet potatoes. I love them. Can't get enough. I'd take sweet potato fries over regular fries any day. I look for any and all ways to incorporate recipes that use them into my menus.

The only thing sweet potato that I don't really like? The overly sweet, sweet potato (whether it's topped with marshmallows, pecans, or otherwise) casserole that pops up like damn whack a moles around the holidays. Can't stand the stuff. I tried to give it another shot this year, because my sister made some for Christmas dinner... But, sorry Shan, I just can't do it.

So what do you do when you've got a vat of sweet potato casserole left hanging around? Or, in our case... A few half-cooked sweet potatoes that didn't make the cut for the casserole?

Well, duh. The answer to life's many quandaries... Make cupcakes!

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

adapted from Southern Living Big Book of Cupcakes (a great Christmas present--thanks Dad!)

photo by Jessica Y.

Brown sugar buttercream, sprinkled with nutmeg, tops off these delicious cupcakes!

• 1.5 cups sugar
• .5 brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potato (or left over casserole)
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon
• .5 tsp. ground nutmeg
• .5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• .5 tsp. vanilla
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Line your pan with cupcake liners.
2. Beat the sugars and butter at medium speed, until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat until well incorporated before adding the next one. 
3. In a small bowl, mix spices and mashed sweet potato (or left over casserole, spices omitted). Add the vanilla and orange zest.
4. Add the sweet potato to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Mix at low speed until blended.
5. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Fluff the mixture with a fork and add, in small batches, to the sweet potato mixture. 
6. Spoon the batter into liners, filling about 2/3 full.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool completely. 
8. Delicious either frosted (I recommend the Brown Sugar Buttercream) or plain. Yum!