Zucchini Cupcakes

We've had an abundance of zucchini from our garden so I made some zucchini cupcakes a few weekends ago for our neighborhood BBQ and they turned out pretty yummy if I do say so myself (plus they've got veggies mixed in - you can't beat that!) What's better than sneaking a few veggies in a cupcake and feeding it to your kids? I thought I'd share the recipe.


Ingredients for the cupcake part:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of canola oil
• 1/2 cup of orange juice
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1 cup of dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/4 of milk
• about 2 cups of powdered sugar

Directions for the cake part:

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and almond extract. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl; gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix well. Stir in the shredded zucchini.

Caroline loved licking the batter off the beaters! She even had shreds of zucchini hanging from her nose it was gross but cute!

Then fill your muffin tins (I used the paper liners). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool.

Directions for the frosting:

Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.