These delectable Sweet Potato Casserole Cupcakes feature a spiced sweet potato cake, a brown sugar pecan topping, and a generous swirl of homemade marshmallow frosting!

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon slightly rounded
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup light brown sugar packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest about 1 small lemon, dark yellow parts only
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweet potato puree about 2 small potatoes, directions below
• ⅔ cup whole milk

For the Topping:

• ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons melted butter*
• 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
• Dash Saigon cinnamon
• Pinch kosher salt

Frosting:

• Homemade Marshmallow Frosting Recipe

Cook Sweet Potatoes:

• Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. They don’t have to be exact, but roughly the same size ensures even cooking. Place them in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and continue to cook until they are very tender and can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and mash with a spoon, puree with an immersion blender, or press through a ricer for the smoothest results (my preferred method, as it helps remove some of the fibrous strings).

Make the Topping (Optional, but highly recommended!):

• In a medium bowl, combine all the topping ingredients: dark brown sugar, flour, melted butter, chopped toasted pecans, Saigon cinnamon, and kosher salt. Mix until a crumbly mixture forms. Set this aside.

Make the Cupcakes:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 16-cup muffin tin with paper liners (I often use two plain liners per cup for extra sturdiness).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, and ginger. Set this mixture aside.
• In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, room temperature unsalted butter, and lemon zest with a hand mixer (or stand mixer on medium speed) until the mixture is light, fluffy, and thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Incorporate the vanilla extract with the last egg.
• Add the sweet potato puree to the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until the batter is smooth and creamy, which should take approximately 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Alternately add the dry flour mixture and whole milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. A good rhythm is to add about a third of the flour, mix until just combined, then half of the milk, mix, then another third of the flour, mix, the remaining milk, mix, and finally fold in the last flour addition by hand. This technique helps prevent overmixing, which can lead to tough cupcakes.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup almost to the top. Take a generous spoonful of your prepared pecan topping and sprinkle it over the top of each cupcake, gently pressing some down into the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a cupcake comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. In my oven, 17 minutes was the sweet spot.
• Remove the cupcakes immediately from the muffin tins and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Cooling on a wire rack prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy.

Assemble the Cupcakes:

• Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with your homemade marshmallow frosting. For a beautiful presentation and easier application, I highly recommend using your favorite piping tip. While you can spread the frosting on with a knife, beware—it can get quite sticky and messy, potentially leaving you covered in delicious marshmallow fluff!
• For that iconic toasted marshmallow flavor and golden-brown finish, gently toast the frosting with a kitchen torch. Alternatively, you can place the frosted cupcakes under a broiler for a very short period (watch carefully as it browns quickly!). If you prefer, the marshmallow frosting is absolutely delicious untoasted as well, offering a soft, sweet cloud atop your cupcake.

**Toasting Pecans: For best flavor, toast your pecans before adding them to the topping. Spread whole pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes, or until you can distinctly smell their nutty aroma and the light parts of the pecans have turned a light golden brown. If using pre-chopped pecans, they will toast much faster, so keep a closer eye on them (around 5-7 minutes).

Nutrition Information