Happy Birthday to the New Cupcake Queen!

On May 9th I turned 31.  My parents and I went out to eat, which was nice.  One of my presents was a cute cupcake carrier and so I decided to crown myself Cupcake Queen!!!  I have visions of me visiting friends with my cupcakes, spreading goodwill and cupcake cheer to all.  Of course, to do this I first need to make the cupcakes.  Upon arriving back at home, I made sweet potato cupcakes.

I got the recipe from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 pound yams, peeled and cubed
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
•  
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Place a steamer insert into a large saucepan, and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the yams, recover, and steam until very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove yams from steamer and allow to cool slightly.  Use a Zip 'n Steam bag.  You'll save a lot of time.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2-12 cup cupcake tins with paper liners.

Place eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla extract, and cooked yams in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into yam mixture, mixing just until combined.

Pour batter into paper liners, filling 2/3 full.  Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  

(Look at that fluffiness!) Beat in the vanilla extract and confectioners sugar; mix until smooth. Frost cool cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Now take a bite!  The sweet potato cupcakes were a success!  The taste actually reminded me of a carrot or spice cake.  The cupcake was denser than most, but still really moist.  The only change that I would make is that next time I would add more cream cheese and have less butter in the frosting, as it was a little rich for me.  Either way, I certainly would just put on enough to cover the top.

Look at those pretty polka-dotted cupcakes.  They matched my outfit that day!

Here's my cupcake carrier:

Isn't it cool?  It's in my favorite color and the top actually folds out into a three-tiered cupcake stand! It's like magic!  I went to one of my support groups that night and I brought some of my cupcakes with me using the cupcake carrier.  Everyone admired the carrier and the cupcakes.  That night, when I reflected on my day, I thought that even though I had not celebrated it in wild style, still I had spent time with both family and friends while enjoying delicious food that I had made for them and I was satisfied.  I had a good birthday and I hope 31 is going to be a good year!

Stay tuned to hear about the curry dinner I made that night....

"Cupcake Queen"

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