How To Make My Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes + Why I Love MLK

Hello! When I decided to create my freedom fighter cupcake in order to honor modern-day freedom fighters, I immediately knew that Martin Luther King will be my first Freedom Fighter. Dr. Martin Luther King has been one of my heroes since the second grade. He decided that no matter what he wold do everything he could to change a problem that he saw in the world. He also did everything he could to stick to his conviction about non-violent protest. Dr. King saw a problem in the world and decided to fix it. I knew that’s what I wanted to do also.

I chose sweet potato pie as the cupcake flavor for Dr. King because sweet potatoes hold great significance for the African-American community. When Africans were taken from west Africa and brought to America they recognized the sweet potato as similar to the white yam from their homeland. Enslaved Africans would put the sweet potatoes into the ashes of their cook fires to roast and eat while working in the fields. The sweet potato has been a constant in the culinary life of Africans in America. It is no wonder that this humble tuber was eventually transformed into pie once emancipated Americans of color had access to food items like flour, butter, sugar and cream. Due to the historical culinary importance of the sweet potato you will find sweet potato pie on the table in African American homes on special holidays.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial on my sweet potato pie cupcakes in honor of Dr Martin Luther King. -Michael

It starts with a roasted potato.