Sweet Potato Pecan Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm back, I'm back! I have been in a baking rut this past month and the only thing I can equate it to is the oven-temperatures outside. Because every time I step out into the lovely summer Nebraska weather I feel like I'm sitting on the lower rack of my oven, I find it slightly difficult to get home to my AC'd house and turn on my delicious-treat-making oven!

Well, after my best friend Courtney of Ice Cream & Wine sent me an article of 10 delicious cupcake recipes from myrecipes.com, I was inspired once again! As I played the slideshow of my luscious choices over and over one cake in particular stood out again and again. Although I plan on making every flavor, the winner for the weekend is Sweet Potato-Pecan with Cream Cheese Frosting. For any of you who know me or have read through my other sweet treat recipes, you are well-aware that I do not like frosting. Yes, many think I am slightly nutty but I just can't stand a sugary gritty sweet texture in my mouth. And that is not what she said...

These cupcakes are absolutely superb and I hope you enjoy them as much as my friends and family did! I also thought of a way to cut some calories but haven't experimented with it yet. Use 1/2 cup butter instead of a full cup, use 1 1/4 cup sugar instead of 2 cups, add an extra egg and add 1/3 cup applesauce. Just a thought, I'll let you know how that turns out when I whip it up!

Recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 (16 oz) can mashed sweet potatos (I could only find cut canned sp's but with a little hand mixer action, mashed was no problemo!)
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

Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting mixed with ground cinnamon for an extra kick!

Instructions:
1. Place pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once after 4 minutes
3. 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
4. Whisk together mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice and vanilla. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sweet potato mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Fold in toasted pecans. Place baking cups in muffin pans, spoon batter into cups, filling 2/3 (I did about 3/4 because I like big cupcakes!) full
5. Bake at 350° for 25 to 28 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. Decorate cupcakes with frosting and garnish if you so desire!

Oh, and be ready to see these more often when C and I open our cupcake shop. Girls can dream.

Mmmmm...the aftermath of my mom and I taste testing the finished product.