So here’s the deal. I’ve never had sweet potato pie or that candied sweet potato dish people make for Thanksgiving. The only way I make sweet potatoes is as oven baked fries. And I use the white sweet potatoes, not the ones people think of as yams. So I’m pretty clueless about the sweet potato thing. And, I have to say, the idea of potatoes in pie never, ever appealed to me. I also am not a fan of marshmallows. I don’t like them roasted, I don’t like s’mores, and I’ve never had them with sweet potatoes – although I am partial to Rice Krispie treats!
The Martha Stewart Cupcake Club assignment for today was Martha’s sweet 
potato cupcakes (from the Martha Stewart Cupcake Book). It was pretty easy to make – your basic cupcakes, except you added a lot of mashed sweet potato. I thought the batter tasted pretty good.
They took longer to bake (as usual), but came out looking nice. Martha says to pile marshmallows on a baking sheet and blow torch them or broil them to get them brown. Then you’re supposed to transfer them to the tops of the cupcakes. That sounded ridiculous to me. Instead, as soon as the cupcakes came out, I stuck the marshmallows on top. Because the cupcakes were warm, the marshmallows stuck. Then I stuck them under the broiler to brown them. It worked very well and was much easier than trying to transfer them. Martha also says to add candied pecans to the top, but I skipped that step.
I thought these were good, but I don’t think it’s something I would make again. It did sort of taste like pumpkin pie, but I couldn’t get out of my head that it was potatoes! The family sort of felt the same way. Off this went to Mr. MarthaAndMe’s office where they were enjoyed from what I heard. Maybe sweet potatoes in desserts is a learned taste.
Anyway, it was fun to make and they did look cute with the marshmallows.
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Sorry you didn’t really care for it. I actually really enjoyed it, although I didn’t think the sp flavor really came through! Thanks for being a good sport and bake along! 🙂
Scrumptious! Love sweet potato.
I think it is a southern thing. We grew up eating sweet potato pie, muffins, etc. Keep trying different recipes with them and I’m sure you will come by one that you like.
Yes, I think it must be! Thanks
I love to bake and it’s especially fun to try something new. If we don’t love it, we just pass it along to others who enjoy it so it’s always win/win. I think this baking challenge is fun.
If I ever make these again (which is kind of unlikely), I will totally use the broiler. My kitchen torch…well, it torched most of my marshmellows pretty quickly. Whoops! Oh well, still fun!
Oh well! It was fun to try though
I didn’t even try the broiler. Yours look really cute, though! I too am not a fan of marshmallows but I went for it anyway. Thanks for baking, and hey, at least you tried them and now know they’re not your favorite thing!
It’s a southern thing. But after living here for 20 years, I can tell you that sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie are nearly interchangeable. Orange-colored vegetable plus lots of cinnamon… pretty much yummy every time.
I thought these were a winner! Glad you tried them anyway!
Thanks for baking along with us this month! Woo hoo!
I’m with you on the final verdict.
And why didn’t I think of adding the marshmallows right onto the cupcakes and the broiling??
To be honest though, they were very easy to transfer from my baking mat to the cupcake…
But still, one less thing to wash by doing it your way.
Good to know. Somehow the texture seems different to me, but maybe in a pie you can’t tell?
One less thing to wash is always a “good thing”
Your cupcakes look wonderful! I was wondering how to get the marshmallows to stick to the top. Putting them on while the cupcakes are warm makes so much sense!
It worked so well!
Being the webmaster for a bakery site I’m always looking for great new ideas like your sweet potato cupcake! Sometimes Martha’s ideas don’t reflect basic common sense like when she recommended leaving an inch of snow on your sidewalk because it looked better that way. Your idea to let the marshmallows glue themselves to the top of the hot cupcakes and then pop the whole thing under the broiler for a few seconds was a winner. I’m going to try it. Cheers – Mal
These look great – I chickened out with the marshmallows! Glad you made them and found a way to streamline things in the kitchen – always a plus! Nicely done!
Oh, they look yummy! I will definately make these again…they were a hit. I have to try the marshmallows, though! Yours look fun!
Thanks for baking along with me this month. Im sorry these werent a hit for you. They do look amazing though!
Such a good idea to put the marshmallows on before broiling. I had a tough time with the marshmallow stacks. I really loved how these turned out. It was a fun afternoon project. Great job!
Great idea to just stick the marshmallows on top of the cupcakes when they came out of the oven! Sorry these weren’t a hit for you but at least you found some folks to enjoy them at your husband’s office 🙂
LOL! Some of the ideas are out there for sure. She doesn’t always focus on practicality at all. I’m glad you liked my method!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I think the best way to cope with Martha is if we each find our own way to use her ideas within our own parameters – if you didn’t want to do the marshmallows it’s good you didn’t
The MS Cupcake club is always fun.
It sounded a little tricky to me! Sticking them on the warm cupcakes made it easy.
Yep – they ate them ravenously there. I must be a weirdo who isn’t into sweet potatoes!
great looking cckes…they look so cute piled up.
It’s so interesting the ideas we get stuck in our heads. I too think of sweet potatoes only as a vegetable and not a cupcake ingredient. Your cupcakes look great and I’m glad you tried them!
I am not really a cupcake person, although I like muffins. Are these a little more savoury because they got potatoes in them or are they still very sweet? Somehow they sound quite appealing, different anyway.
They were pretty sweet. Definitely a dessert.
I make my mom’s whipped sweet potatoes with marshmallows, but this looks awesome. I do think sweet potato pie is a southern thing.
I’m more of a fan of Rice Krispie Treats, too!
I love ’em!
thanks so much for your kind words! =) i didn’t really know the difference between the white and orange either, i had to ask someone! hehe.
i LOVE your grandmother’s ring! It’s incredible! i’m totally in love with antique settings and when i got to choose my engagement ring (my hubby was nice enough to let me), i got one that was super antique looking!
OK. I just have to say it … our big dog (Ginko) LOVES sweet potatoes. The humans around here like them too. I may just have to try these.
How cute!
They look great! You had the right idea doing the topping right on top of the cupcakes.
Thanks. I don’t understand why the instructions had you do it on a baking sheet and transfer it.
I’m totally with you on the sweet potato thing. Love them whole (baked) or as fries, but not as a dessert. Pumpkin yes. Sweet potatoes, no.
I’m a southerner, and I like sweet potatoes as a savory dish, but not in pies, or with marshmallows.
I wonder how these cupcakes would taste made with pumpkin? I just made soda bread and stirred some pumpkin butter into the batter just for fun –like the result.
Last month the MS Cupcake Club challenge was pumpkin cupcakes and they were good. Those are in Martha’s cupcake book too. Pumpkin in soda bread is interesting!
The whole marshmallow roasting thing sounded over the top to me too. However, the candied pecans were yummy even if I didn’t do it properly 🙂
I love candied pecans…