My father has got one of the greenest thumbs that I’ve ever seen. Every summer, for as long as I can remember, my dad has had a HUGE garden. It’s actually come to be quite the spectacle at their current home. They live on Chincoteague Island, which is a popular tourist destination in summer. Evidently, people are not used to seeing a garden up close and personal. Every time we are visiting, there are folks stopping in the street to take pictures. Poor souls – I don’t know what I would do without a garden at my fingertips!
Last weekend my dad gave me two HUGE zucchinis. You know, the kind that are too big to do anything with? Then, I came across a post over at Erin’s site. It was the perfect use for these goliaths. Actually, I only used one. Any suggestions for the other?
These were seriously some of the best cupcakes I’ve had in my life. And, I’ll tell you kids, I’m no stranger to a cupcake. The were so moist and delicious, they literally melted in your mouth. They would have been awesome “as is”. But then, to slather them with heavenly cream cheese frosting? OMG, make these.
I always have a cache of spices I am trying to use up, so I tweaked the original recipe a bit. I added in some allspice, as well as a pinch of 5-spice powder. If you don’t have those – feel free to omit them, they will still be just as good!
Zucchini Spice Cupcakes
Yields: 24 cupcakes
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp Chinese 5-Spice Powder
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 cups packed grated zucchini
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla, and zest until well blended; whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Stir in zucchini, then add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in walnuts.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
To finish, use an offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.
Adapted from: Erin’s Food Files
20 Comments
None of the recipe is such that can be left. A very nice food blog.
This looks SO good! That would go so good with my coffee right now!
I love your site!
Laura-
These were to die for! Thank you so much for sharing with us. I have bragged on these to so many people:) Btw, I love your site, I told Jon you definitely have a knack for this.
These look so delicious!Ive been reading back on your other posts and love what you have here. I followed you from the foodieblogroll and I’d love to guide our readers to your site if you won’t mind.Just add your choice of foodista widget to this post and it’s all set to go, Thanks!
YUM!! How pretty do those look!! I seriously have a crush on your picture taking skills.
Those look delicious! What about making zuchinni bread with the other one?
Looks fantastic- you take the most gorgeous food pictures.
And I have never known anyone who has an entire garden. Ever. The closest would be one, maybe two fruit trees.
I’m jealous.
Those cupcakes look so pretty and you are so lucky to have your parent’s garden to pick from. I would love that : )
Yay! So glad you liked them! I know I thoroughly enjoyed them myself! Your picture is gorgeous by the way.
zucchini makes baked goods so moist and wonderful! you have a gorgeous blog
such neat pictures! i love how soft looking they are… so flattering to these lovely sounding cupcakes!
These sound awesome! then again, I love anything with cream cheese frosting. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love so many of the recipes you have on here!
I have been catching the cupcake bug lately. I just bought the ingredients to make a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, with pretzels and caramel. Now, I have seen the zucchini spice muffins-YUM!
Love that photo…and the additional spices sound great!
Ok, I’m pulling 1 to 2 zucchini from my garden every day, and I don’t know what to do with them all!! You can bet I’ll be trying these cupcakes!
Oh wow, I HAVE to make these! Luckily all my zucchini is ready to be picked so here is a perfect way to use it. Your photo is lovely as well!
These looks amazing! I love making cupcakes! These are going on my must make list! :0)
These do sound really good, I’m all about veggies in cupcakes. I’ve never tried Chinese 5 spice, I’m missing out!
I have never thought of making zucchini cupcakes. . . what a perfect idea! Thanks for the inspiration and for stopping by my blog too! Roz (bella)
The crew at NASA are going to be loving these tonight.