Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan). Line a 12-hole standard muffin tin with paper cases.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Whisking helps to distribute the raising agents evenly.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the light brown sugar and eggs together until pale and slightly frothy, for about 1 minute. Then, whisk in the oil, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.

Add the Sweet Potato: Add the cooled, mashed sweet potato to the wet ingredient mixture and whisk until it's smooth and well-incorporated. The mixture should be a lovely pale orange colour.

Fold a few times: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. What works best for me is using a large spatula to gently fold the mixture together. Stop when there are still a few floury streaks remaining.

Add Optional Nuts: If you're using pecans or walnuts, add them now and fold another two or three times, just until the last of the flour has disappeared. It is crucial not to overmix the batter. Lumps are perfectly fine!

Fill the Muffin Cases: Divide the batter evenly between the 12 paper cases. I use an ice cream scoop for this to ensure they are all a similar size. They should be about three-quarters full.

Bake to Perfection: Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. You'll know they're ready when they are golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool Down: Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They are delicious warm, but cooling them prevents them from becoming soggy.