Screwdriver Cupcakes
20m prep 50m cook 1h 10m ready
Moist sweet potato cake with toasted pecans and a buttery whiskey sauce, topped with pecan praline. A boozy twist on classic fall flavors.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup canned sweet potato puree
- 1/4 cup sour-mash whiskey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp molasses
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup pecans toasted
- 3/4 cup sugar
- salt
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour-mash whiskey
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 21 of 22 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 838 mg
- Iron: 29.2 mg
- Magnesium: 556 mg
- Phosphorus: 1652 mg
- Potassium: 2768 mg
- Zinc: 17.3 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup canned sweet potato puree
- 1/4 cup sour-mash whiskey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp molasses
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- salt
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour-mash whiskey
Prepare
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- Toast 1 1/2 cup pecans
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan. Toast 2½ cups total pecans (for cake and praline) in the oven for about 8 minutes as it warms, then set aside.
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Step 2.
In a mixing bowl, beat ½ cup sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy. Beat in 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon molasses. Add 2¼ cups all-purpose flour and ¾ teaspoon baking powder, mixing until combined. Mix in 1 cup canned sweet potato puree, ¼ cup sour-mash whiskey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and 1 cup toasted chopped pecans. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Step 3.
While the cake bakes, make the pecan praline: In a saucepan, combine ¼ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon molasses, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over low heat, stirring until combined. Stir in 1½ cups toasted pecans.
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Step 4.
For the buttery whiskey sauce: In a saucepan over low heat, combine ¾ cup sugar, a pinch of salt, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ cup sour-mash whiskey. Stir until the mixture reaches a gentle boil. Pour about one-fourth of the sauce over the baked cake.
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Step 5.
Top the cake with the pecan praline and spoon the remaining warm sauce over the top.
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