Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Cupcakes
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15 cupcakes
 
Welcome fall into your kitchen with sweet potato cupcakes, topped with a cinnamon buttercream, and bacon crumbles drizzled with maple syrup.
Ingredients
SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES
  • 1½ c flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground all spice
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ c sugar
  • ½ c light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • ½ c vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 c sweet potato puree
  • ¼ c buttermilk
CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM
  • 2 oz (1/4 of a brick) cream cheese, softened, but not warm
  • ¾ c butter (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 2½ - 3½ c powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 2 - 3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
  • 4 slices (cooked) bacon, crumbled
  • about 1 tsp of maple syrup, plus more for drizzle if desired
Instructions
SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with liners.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugars until no lumps remain.
  4. Add the oil and mix until incorporated.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  6. Add the sweet potato puree and vanilla and mix well.
  7. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture a third at a time. Add more just before the last addition is incorporated. Turn the mixer off when the last of the flour mixture is almost finished incorporating.
  8. Add the buttermilk and fold in with a spatula just until the batter is smooth. Don't over mix.
  9. Using a scoop, scoop the batter into prepared pans to about ¾ full.
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  11. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a couple minutes and remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter and mix until well combined on medium high speed.
  2. Turn the mixer down to low and begin adding the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. After adding a cup of the powdered sugar, add the salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix well.
  4. Add the remainder of the powdered sugar (one cup at a time) and beat on high until well incorporated.
  5. Add the heavy whipping cream and add to the buttercream, gradually increase the speed to high and beat til light and fluffy.
  6. If the buttercream is too loose, add more powdered sugar ½ c at a time until desired consistency is reached. (*TIP- cream cheese frosting can be finicky. If it's too warm then pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes and then mix it again to fluff it when you take it out.)
  7. For the garnish mix the crumbled bacon with a little maple syrup.
  8. Pipe a swirl of buttercream on the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the maple bacon and drizzle with more maple syrup if desired.
Recipe by The Red Eye Baker at https://www.theredeyebaker.com/2016/09/maple-bacon-sweet-potato-cupcakes/