1-Gathering and Prepping Your Ingredients: First, preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with 16 liners to get everything ready for baking. Make sure your sweet potato puree is smooth and all other ingredients are at room temperature for the best mix. This step sets the foundation for cupcakes that rise perfectly and stay tender.

2-Mixing the Batter: In a mixer with a whisk attachment, combine 1 cup sweet potato puree, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs at room temperature, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Next, add 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix just until combined to keep the batter light and airy overmixing can make your cupcakes dense, so go easy here.

3-Baking and Cooling: Divide the batter evenly among the 16 cupcake liners, filling each one about two-thirds full for even baking. Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once done, let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before moving on to frosting this helps the flavors settle and prevents the frosting from melting.

4-Adding the Frosting: For the frosting, start by creaming 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature in a mixer for about 1 minute until it’s fluffy. Add 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature and beat for another minute. Gradually mix in 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, which takes about 30 seconds. Frost each cooled cupcake with about 3 tablespoons of this mixture, smoothing the top for a neat finish. If you like, drizzle with caramel sauce and garnish with chopped pecans for an extra touch.