Our local co-op here in Eau Claire recently had a harvest festival. There were numerous local vendors and farmers there highlighting their products. Sam and I had a stand to represent Gone Wild Acres. We definitely wanted to bring samples and we knew we wanted to incorporate a vegetable that was in season- so what happens when you put sweet potatoes in a cupcake? Success!!

 

Check out the recipe below:

 

Ingredients:

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter at room temperature

4 eggs

1 lb sweet potatoes (from Gone Wild Acres of course!!)

2/3 cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

 

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe is from Cooks' Illustrated)

8 oz package of cream cheese- (do NOT use low fat)

4 tsp sour cream- (Again, do NOT use low fat)

6 Tablespoons butter at room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

 

 

Preparation:

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into large cubes. Steam the cubes for about 20 minutes.

 

2. Place cubes in blender or food processor and puree sweet potatoes. (You can add a little orange juice if it doesn't mix easily).

 

3. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.

 

4. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 8 to 10 nimutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes.

 

5. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

 

6. Whisk together pureeded sweet potatoes, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Combine flour and next five ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place foil baking cups in muffin pans, and spray with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.

 

5. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans, and cool 50 minutes to 1 hour or until completely cool.

 

6. For the cream cheese frosting- combine all ingredients and either whip up with electric mixer or a food processor. (Check out the YouTube video (left) for a great tip on frosting the cupcakes.)

 

7. Garnish cupcakes with chopped pecans.