Holiday Cupcakes

Hi Everyone, I hope you all had thankful and special Thanksgiving with your families and friends!! It's crazy, I let almost a month go by without blogging. I really miss blogging and will have lots and lots to blog about in the coming months as our house is re-built. Until then, I will do my best to keeping blogging. The four day weekend was such a must for me :) I was able to take some time and bake some yummy cupcakes & pies for my family and wanted to share the tasty cupcake recipes with you all. I also may have had one too many Eggnog with Brandy (not on the same night, lol) over the Holiday break. 

After making both sets of these cupcakes, I know they'll be a family staple during the holidays sounds sill but they taste like Thanksgiving, lol. I love sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie, so when I came across recipes that turned my holiday favorites into a cupcake, I couldn't wait to make them. I found the Sweet Potato Cupcake recipe in Martha Stewart's Cupcake book, you can buy it here on Amazon.com. I blogged about her book before and love it, for a beginner baker its a the essential cupcake book. In the past, I've made a few of her cupcakes which I blogged about here: Confetti Cupcakes, Banana Split Cupcakes, Strawberry Cupcakes and Chocolate Cupcakes. 

Sweet Potato Cupcakes 

I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart and made a few minor changes for baking ease. 

Ingredients for Cupcakes - makes 18 

2 Large Sweet Potatoes
2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon of salt
2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Cup of unsalted butter Room Temp.
1 Cup of Sugar
1 Cup of Brown Sugar
4 Large Eggs Room Temp.

Bake It

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. The sweet potatoes for 10 mins of until soft, let the sweet potato cool and peel the skin from the potato. Mash the sweet potatoes in a small bowls, there should be about 2 cups. Spray cupcake tins with non stick cooking spray and then line with tin with cupcakes liners. 

In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. With and electric blender cream together the butter and both sugars and until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully mixed in the batter. Add the sweet potato mash and vanilla. Next slowly add the flour mixture in three parts. Divide batter evenly into the cupcake liners, bake cupcakes for 28 minutes rotate halfway though. Transfer cupcake tins to wire rack and let cool before removing cupcake from pan. 

For the frosting, I made basic Vanilla Buttercream frosting and sprinkled the top of the cupcakes with brown sugar. These cupcakes where a hit!! I'll be making them very soon. 


Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting 

I shared this recipe a few years ago on the blog, and thought I'd re-share them with a prettier picture! :) It's funny, I bake close to 30 cupcakes on Thursday yet only had a chance to take pictures of two, go figure. I lined my cupcake tines with pretty wrappers, but they turned yellow from the non-stick spray :( This recipe is adapted from Ina Graten via House Beautiful. 

Ingredients for Cupcakes - makes 10  

1 Cup All Purpose Flour 
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
3 Large eggs Room Temp.
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
16 ounces of Pumpkin Puree (not pie filing) 
1/2 Cup of Vegetable Oil 
1 Heath Bar 

Bake It

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the cupcake tins with non stick cooking spray and then line the cupcake tins with liners. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Using an electric mixer whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, both sugars and vegetable oil. Slowly add flour mixture in three parts. Divide batter into cupcake liners evenly. Bake for 20 - 25 mins, transfer cupcake tins to wire rack and let cool before removing cupcake from pan. 

Ingredients for Frosting 

6 Ounces of Cream Cheese at room temperature 
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 
1/2 Teaspoon of Maple Extract Flavor
1/2 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Cups of Shift Flour  


Frost It 

Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth. Stir in maple and vanilla frosting. Slowing stir in the confections sugar until mixed smooth. Frost cupcakes with cool and top with chopped Heath bar. 

I hope you all enjoy these cupcake recipes!

What are your favorite cupcakes to bake or eat during the Holiday Season?