The great thing about making dessert with vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash and zucchini is that due to the vegetables’ water content the recipe will likely call for vegetable oil instead of butter. And therefore these delicious cakes are also perfect pareve dessert choices. No need to scramble to alter the recipe for a meat meal.
I have been making this recipe for sweet potato cake for years and people are always shocked when I share that the recipe is dairy-free. And now it’s your turn to wow guests with this sweet treat.
When paired with Martha Stewart’s simple Marshmallow Frosting Recipe it makes the perfect Fall dessert. And hey, this totally counts as a serving of vegetables, so have two.
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Half recipe for Marshmallow Frosting
Equipment: muffin tins, piping bag, hand-held torch
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and wrap in tin foil. Roast for 40-50 minutes ofr until soft. Let cool.
2. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out flesh. Place in a food processor fitted with a blade and pulse until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add pureed sweet potatoes, sugar and oil to a large bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture in batches; beat just until blended.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line and grease muffin tins. Fill muffin trays until 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out cool. Allow to cool.
7. Make frosting.
8. Pipe frosting in a swirl on top of each cupcake. Using a hand-held blow torch, gently drag the torch across the frosting, toasting the frosting until just lightly brown.
