If you are craving the cozy flavors of autumn, you’ll love these homemade Sweet Potato Cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting.
These cupcakes are ultra moist with a tender, creamy crumb and warm spice notes from cinnamon and nutmeg. They are perfect for fall birthdays, Thanksgiving, and any celebration where you want a seasonal treat.
Table of Contents
Why we Love Them
These cupcakes deliver classic fall comfort in every bite. Highlights include:
- Ultra moist, tender texture
- Scratch recipe that’s easy to follow
- Warm fall spices and natural sweetness from sweet potatoes
- Makes just over two dozen cupcakes
How to Make Sweet Potato Cupcakes
The full recipe card appears below. Here is a concise step-by-step overview:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line cupcake pans with liners.
- Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a separate bowl combine sweet potato puree, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla; set aside.
- Cream softened butter in a mixer on medium until smooth. Gradually add white and brown sugar and beat 3–5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
- On low speed, alternate adding the dry flour mixture and the milk/sweet potato mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- The recipe yields roughly 7 cups of batter; fill liners with about 1/4 cup each (approximately 28 cupcakes).
- Bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or tops spring back.
- Remove cupcakes from pans after a short rest and cool on a rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting pairs beautifully with spiced cakes. This version combines softened cream cheese and butter with vanilla, a pinch of salt, and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. It tends to be softer than buttercream, so chill briefly if it becomes too soft for piping.
Decorating the Cupcakes
Decorate however you prefer. We used a large star (1M) tip to pipe swirls and finished each cupcake with a pecan for a simple, classic look.
Recipe FAQs
Yes — because of the cream cheese frosting these cupcakes should be refrigerated. For best flavor and texture, remove them from the fridge 1–2 hours before serving so they warm closer to room temperature.
Yes. Once cooled, arrange cupcakes on boards, cover with plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw on the counter and loosen wrapping after about 30 minutes to avoid condensation forming on the cupcakes.
If you want a less perishable option, use a classic vanilla buttercream (add 1 teaspoon cinnamon for extra warmth). Caramel frosting is another delicious alternative for a richer finish.
These cupcakes are similar to pumpkin cupcakes but sweeter and more flavorful thanks to the sweet potato. The warm spices and cream cheese frosting create a classic fall flavor profile that many people love.
More Fall Cake Recipes
Try other seasonal recipes like sweet potato layer cake, sweet potato bundt cake, pumpkin cheesecake cake, and applesauce spice cake for more autumnal baking ideas.
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Sweet Potato Cake
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Sweet Potato Bundt Cake
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
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Applesauce Spice Cake
Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy this recipe. Check the recipe card below for full ingredients, measurements, and detailed instructions.
Have you made this? We would love your rating, a comment, and a photo — your feedback is appreciated!
Sweet Potato Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potato Cupcakes
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (217g)
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 15 oz can sweet potato puree (425g) — or 1 ½ cups fresh cooked puree
- ½ cup milk (121g)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (68g)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (12g)
- 3 cups cake flour (342g) — see notes for substitution
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (8g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (6g)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (1g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened (226g)
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened (452g total; two 8-oz packages)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
- 6 cups powdered sugar (690g), adjust to taste
Decoration
- Pecans for topping (optional)
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cupcake pans with liners.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
- Combine sweet potato puree, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl; set aside.
- Cream butter in a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add both sugars and beat 3–5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each until blended.
- On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk/sweet potato mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Portion batter into lined cups (about ¼ cup each) to make ~28 cupcakes. Bake 18–20 minutes, checking at 15. Test with a toothpick; tops should spring back. Cool 5–10 minutes, then remove from pans.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat softened butter on low–medium until smooth. Add softened cream cheese and mix until incorporated.
- Add vanilla and gradually mix in powdered sugar on low. Increase speed slightly and beat until fluffy. Avoid overmixing; chill briefly if it becomes too soft.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. We used a 1M star tip and topped each with a pecan.
- Store refrigerated due to the cream cheese frosting. For best flavor and texture, remove from the fridge 1–2 hours before serving.
Notes
Substitution for Cake Flour
To make a cake-flour substitute with all-purpose flour: for each cup of flour, remove 2 Tablespoons of the flour and replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. For this recipe (3 cups cake flour), measure 3 cups all-purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons, and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch; whisk to combine.