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Barefoot at Brunch

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Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Honey Mascarpone Frosting

in Cook, Recipes

I realized recently that I haven’t shared many recipes for baked goods on the blog, even though I love to bake – and particularly love to make cupcakes. I took a gap year between college and law school, and one of the primary things I did during that time was bake cupcakes. TONS of them. I got a reputation around my office as the girl who always brought cupcakes to any office event.

I haven’t been baking quite as much these days (mainly because, as you may have guessed, when you bake, you then end up with a billion cupcakes or cookies or brownies or whatever that alllll need to be eaten), but it is still something that I really enjoy. But spring is coming (have I mentioned this?), and to me, spring is the perfect season to enjoy a nice, delicate little cupcake.

Spring is the season when we can finally get back outside after a winter spent hibernating, so I wanted to make a cupcake that felt (and tasted) earthy, but also tasted light and fresh. Sounds a bit contradictory, perhaps, but trust me, it’s very possible.

The frosting – yum:)

Adding to the fun is the fact that Easter is rapidly approaching, and what better holiday is there to celebrate with some light, delicate, pretty cupcakes? I feel like the obvious theme of Easter baking is carrot cake, what with the Easter bunny hanging around and all, but I wanted to do something a little different.

So instead of carrots being the star of the show, I decided to sub in. . . sweet potatoes! And they’re an excellent understudy, let me tell you. For those of you who are thinking “I don’t know, sweet potatoes kind of sound like a fall thing, not a spring thing,” don’t you worry.

Because while you’re correct that sweet potatoes are traditionally fall fare, they are just what these cupcakes need to give them that earthy, outdoorsy quality that I was going for. Combined with the shredded coconut, the lavender, and the fluffy, cloud-like frosting, they make for a wonderful way to ring in spring:)

Print

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup butter (browned)
  • 1.5 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Frosting

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 8 oz. container mascarpone
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 1/4/ cup honey
  • Dash of allspice

Decorations

  • Lavender
  • Shredded coconut
  • Sprinkles (I used gold)

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

  1. Before you start anything else, get the sweet potato boiling in a pot of water over medium-high heat. Allow it to cook until it’s easily pierced with a fork, about half an hour to 45 minutes. Once it’s done cooking, drain the water, and carefully run cold water over the hot potato – the skin should peel right off. (Be careful because it will be hot.) Mash the potato and set aside.

  2. Next, brown the butter. Once it’s nice and browned, transfer it to a bowl and put it in the fridge to firm back up.

  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-muffin pan.

  4. Combine the brown sugar and the browned butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, the mashed sweet potato, and the shredded coconut.

  5. In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and hazelnuts. 

  6. Add half the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture, mixing until combined. Add the milk and the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined.

  7. Scoop the mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan – don’t overfill the cups. (They only need to be about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full.)

  8. Pop them in the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

  1. While the cupcakes are cooling, you can make the frosting. Place the heavy cream and the vanilla in a bowl. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until the cream has thickened and will hold small peaks.

  2. Add the mascarpone, the sugar, and the honey and continue to mix until well-combined and fluffy. Add a dash of allspice and mix to combine.

Assemble the Cupcakes

  1. Once the cupcakes have been removed from the pan and have cooled completely, place a generous dollop of frosting on the top of each. Spread until the top of each cupcake is covered, and then sprinkle with shredded coconut, lavender, and sprinkles (or whatever other decorations you would like.) Serve and enjoy!

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