Baby Sweet Potato Cakes With Sticky Caramel-Pecan Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 0.3 cup buttermilk 
• 25 servings caramel-pecan sauce 
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1.3 cups flour all-purpose divided
• 1 cup domino granulated sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 0.5 teaspoon mccormick gourmet collection ground ginger 
• 0.5 cup pecans toasted chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 15 oz sweet potatoes mashed drained canned
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• wire rack
• hand mixer
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3. Combine flour and baking soda. Gradually add half of flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended, and stopping to scrape bottom and down sides of bowl.
4. Add remaining half of flour mixture, and beat until blended.
5. Add vanilla and next 5 ingredients, beating at medium speed until smooth. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray, filling two-thirds full.
6. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes.
7. Remove warm cakes from pan, and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Top each cake with 2 1/2 Tbsp. Caramel-Pecan Sauce.
8. Serve with vanilla ice cream or ice-cold heavy cream, if desired.