Just ~ Plain ~ Good! Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Flavored Icing

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I volunteered for dessert duty for an upcoming event and since it’s not my forte, I started searching around for something new to make. I went through all the chocolate ideas, even one with homemade peanut butter truffles inside and decided to head back to something I am more comfortable with – vegetables. Yes, it can still be dessert if it is made with vegetables. And if you’re doubtful, these cupcakes will certainly convince you of that!

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First of all, zucchini adds a wonderful texture and moisture to baked goods. Adding a little fresh produce to a bit of decadence also makes you feel healthy. So what if there’s also some sugar and butter to offset it. You’re still getting your serving of vegetables!

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Although I don’t have a major sweet tooth, there is one thing that I just can’t resist and that is anything made with caramel. So that ended up being the theme of both of the desserts I made for this event. A Salted Caramel Apple Galette (recipe coming) and Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Icing. Caramel is not the easiest item to make and can go wrong in so many ways! Cook it too long, or too hot, stir it too much, don’t brush the sides of the pan with water – the list goes on. You can end up with a crystallized, hard mess that barely resembles anything caramel! That is until I came across a simple process from Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman blog. You simple can’t mess up her easy caramel sauce recipe. Put everything in the pan at once. Cook and whisk gently for 5-7 minutes and voilla!  You have caramel sauce!!

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The icing recipe for these cupcakes is a take off on that process with a slight variation on the basic ingredient amounts. Then the addition of confectioners’ sugar binds the mixture into an icing for the consistency needed to top your cupcakes. The cake turns out moist and a bit savory while the icing adds the perfect silky sweet confection to balance out the dessert. Yep, this one is a winner!

Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Icing

Serves 16

Ingredients
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1⁄3 cups sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1⁄2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1⁄2 cups shredded zucchini
Icing
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup butter
  • 1⁄4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon meringue powder, or as needed
Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract.
  2. Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well.
  3. Add zucchini and mix well.
  4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. I filled 6 jumbo muffin cups and 1 mini bread pan.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes for regular muffins or until cupcakes test done. If using jumbo cups or bread pan, cook 40-45 minutes or until tested done with a toothpick.
  6. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
  7. For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.
  8. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  9. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.
  10. Cool to lukewarm.
  11. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. To keep the icing from becoming overly sweet, I add meringue powder in lieu of additional confectioner’s sugar to gain the correct consistency. You can opt to use other thickening agents as well.
  12. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost them.

(click here) for printable recipe

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