Autumn Delight Cupcakes

My brain is so confused right now. Having recently transplanted myself from Wisconsin to San Francisco, the fact that the weather here has been consistently in the high sixties and even low seventies recently is blowing.my.mind. It’s late October and I’m still running in shorts! There does seem to be a chill in the air that has recently developed and Karl the Fog seems to be back in town, but it’s still much warmer than I’m used to. One of my friends recently Instagrammed a photo of frost and it snapped me back to reality – it’s truly autumn!

I think the thing I miss the most is the fall color – like the ones featured so beautifully in our engagement photos. In the words of a friend, ‘the leaves do change here – that palm tree outside my house wilted last week’.  Even though we don’t have the fall leaves, I can still enjoy one of my favorite items of fall produce – the sweet potato. When I saw a recipe for Autumn Delight Cake on Sweetapolita, I was intrigued by the idea of baking a cake out of sweet potatoes! Her cake is truly a work of art and I knew nothing I could do would even become close. To make things a bit easier, I turned Rosie’s recipe into cupcakes! These lovelies are stuffed with toasted marshmallow buttercream and topped with the homemade marshmallow frosting from my S’mores cupcakes – and don’t forget the candied pecans to seal the deal!

Tip :: To make easy stuffed cupcakes, use an apple corer to gently twist out a section from the top of your unfrosted cupcake.

Autumn Delight Cupcakes

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Aka ‘Sweet Potato & Ginger Cupcakes stuffed with Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream and topped with Marshmallow Frosting and Candied Pecans’ Makes ~2 Dozen Cupcakes

• Author: Kelly Egan - A Side of Sweet

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Sweet Potato Cupcakes
• 3 large sweet potatoes (about 900 g)
• 2 c. (400 g) sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temp
• 1–1/4 cups (315 ml) canola oil (or other neutral oil like vegetable, safflower, or sunflower)
• 2 c. (230 g) cake flour
• 1 T. (7 g) ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. (8 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp. (7 g) salt
• 1 tsp. (3 g) ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. (1.5 g) ground ginger
• 2 T. (30 ml) brandy or dark rum
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla extract
• Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream
• 16 large white marshmallows
• 1 c. (125 g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ or powdered), sifted
• 1 c. butter (227 g)(2 sticks), at room temp
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) pure vanilla extract
• 1 jar (213 g) marshmallow cream (such as Marshmallow Fluff)[br]
• Homemade Marshmallow Frosting
• 8 egg whites
• 2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract[br]
• 2 T. (28 g) unsalted butter
• 2 T. (24 g) brown sugar
• 1 c. (100 g) pecan pieces

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Instructions

1. To make the cupcakes:
2. Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and pierce each a few times with a fork. Microwave until they are pierced easily by a fork, flipping once (~7-8 minutes per side). When they are cool enough to touch, remove the skins and mash the flesh with a fork until they are in a rough puree.
3. Using a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the oil and beat on medium until combined. Add the sweet potato puree and mix until combined.
4. Combine dry ingredients (cake flour through ginger) and sift, then add to sweet potato mixture.
5. Add the alcohol of your choice (brandy or dark rum) and vanilla.
6. Scoop the batter into a muffin tin filled with cupcake liners. Bake at 350F for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I got about 2 dozen cupcakes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.
7. [br]
8. To make the toasted marshmallow buttercream:
9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place marshmallows on the sheet and broil marshmallows until toasted and brown on top, about 30-60 seconds. Keep an eye on them as they go from toasted to burned very quickly!
10. Combine the butter and icing sugar in a bowl and mix with paddle attachment for about 1 minute. Add vanilla, increase speed to medium-high and blend for 3 minutes.
11. Add the marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows and mix on low for 1 minute.
12. [br]
13. To make the Marshmallow Frosting
14. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.
15. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.[br]
16. To make the Candied Pecans:
17. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and pecans and toss to coat. Cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
18. Turn out onto parchment paper or aluminum foil and let cool.
19. [br]
20. To Assemble the Autumn Delight Cupcakes
21. Use an apple corer to gently twist out the center of each cupcake. Fill each with a tiny spoonful of Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream.
22. Pipe the marshmallow frosting onto each cupcake. I used a #1A large round frosting tip.
23. Sprinkle each cupcake with a few candied pecan pieces.
24. Using a kitchen torch, lightly toast each cupcake until golden brown.

Notes

Adapted from Sweetapolita