Special treats have a place in life. Not every day, not even every week, but on special occasions, they can be just what the doctor ordered. Some foods are worth the splurge. These cupcakes are one of them, while also being a “better cheat.”
Servings 12 cupcakes
1 cup (240 ml) gluten-free flour, like C4C (40°F)
¼ cup almond meal
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp salt
¼ whole milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup (720 ml) coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup (720 ml) honey
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 small yam, peeled and shredded
(about 1 cup (240 ml))
6-oz of cream cheese, room temp
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cupcake cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat milk, eggs, oil, honey and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix in the yam.
- Divide the batter among the lined cupcake cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Remove from cups and cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter and slightly cool. In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until smooth. Add the butter to cream cheese and mix until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, add vanilla. Scrape down sides and beat for 30 seconds on high speed until smooth.
- Spread tops of the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Although best eaten the day they are baked, they can be frozen.
More Recipes You'll Love
Sweet potato cupcakes are warmly spiced little cakes with shreds of yam running through every crumb. Cinnamon and allspice make them taste like carrot cake's autumn cousin, and a smooth cream cheese frosting finishes each one with a snowcap. Chopped walnuts on top give the perfect final crunch.
Pro Tips
- Shred the yam finely rather than grating it coarse. Fine shreds melt into the batter and keep the cupcakes moist instead of leaving stringy bits.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Cream cheese frosting slides off a warm cupcake and pools in the liner.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before beating it into the cream cheese. Warm butter makes the frosting loose and greasy instead of fluffy.
- These are best the day they are baked — the almond meal keeps the crumb tender, but the texture is at its peak fresh from the rack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze these sweet potato cupcakes?
Yes — freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and frost them fresh so the topping stays creamy.
What gluten-free flour works best?
A cup-for-cup blend like C4C gives the lightest crumb here. Almond meal adds moisture but too much of it makes the cupcakes heavy.
Can I make these as a layer cake?
Double the batter and divide it between two greased 8-inch pans, then stack with cream cheese frosting between the layers. Add five to ten minutes to the bake.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 12 cupcake cups with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt.
- Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat milk, eggs, oil, honey and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients.
- Mix in the yam.
- Divide the batter among the lined cupcake cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from cups and cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter and slightly cool.
- In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until smooth.
- Add the butter to cream cheese and mix until smooth.
- Beat in powdered sugar, add vanilla. Scrape down sides and beat for 30 seconds on high speed until smooth.
- Spread tops of the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Although best eaten the day they are baked, they can be frozen.
