Bourbon Yam Cupcakes

Ingredients
3 large Eggs
1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Melissa’s Vanilla Bean
2 3/4 cups Cake Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3/4 pound Melissa’s Yam, Sweet Potato or Organic Charleston Yams, cooked; mashed
2 packages Melissa’s Dried Cranberries
1/3 cup Bourbon
3/4 cup Milk

Frosting
1/2 cup Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Melissa’s Vanilla Bean
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 cups Powdered Sugar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a standing mixer, combine the eggs and the next 4 ingredients. Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape out the seeds and pulp, and then add to the bowl. Set aside. In another bowl of the mixer, combine the cake flour and the next 4 Ingredients. Set aside. Add the cranberries and yams to the egg mixture and mix well. Now add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix well. Next add the bourbon and 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix well. Finally, add the milk and the rest of the flour mixture and mix well.

Fill a muffin pan with paper baking cups. Fill the cups with the batter about 3/4 full. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cupcakes bake, make the frosting.
In a standing mixer, combine the cream cheese and the rest of the frosting ingredients. Set aside.

When the cupcakes are cool, frost them and serve.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.