Sweet Potato Spice Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes yesterday for the first time and they were AMAZING!  Super moist and flavorful and you'd never know they were gluten-free!!  If you've never had treats made with sweet potato, don't be afraid, it's very much like pumpkin.  These cupcakes actually remind me of carrot cake, with the nuts and raisins and the cream cheese frosting.  This recipe is a keeper for sure!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from one of my all time favorite gluten-free cookbooks called "Recipes for Gluten-Free Kids, fun eats from breakfast to treats!"

SWEET POTATO SPICE CUPCAKES

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, plus additional for garnish
1/2 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1)  Preheat oven to 325F.  Line 18 standard (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups with paper baking cups.

2)  Whisk flour blend, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, xanthan gum and allspice in a medium bowl.

3)  Beat mashed sweet potato, oil and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer at low speed until blended.

4)  Add flour mixture; beat at medium speed 30 seconds or until well blended.

5)  Stir in 1/2 cup nuts and raisins.

6)  Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.

7)  Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.  Remove from pan.

8)  Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting.  Frost cupcakes when completely cool and garnish with nuts.

FROSTING:

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1)  Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy.

2)  Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until well blended.

3)  Beat in the salt and vanilla.


NOTES:

~About 1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed.  I peeled them first, then boiled them.

~The flour blend is on my blog under "Gluten Free Flour Blends" and it's the one called Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend - from the "Recipes for Gluten-Free Kids" cookbook.

~I used walnuts, but pecans would be delicious too!

~I used golden raisins, but regular raisins would be great too!  I also made some without nuts or raisins for my boys.

~The recipe made about 21 cupcakes.