Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cake #31: Zucchini Muffins



I never know what to call these. The recipe I found years and years ago calls them muffins but I have a personal rule that if you frost it, it's a cupcake. Since it's too close to call, I'm including it in 52 Cakes and have basically decided to categorize them according to time of day - at breakfast they're muffins, after dinner they're cupcakes. Problem solved.

You might notice a truly odd combination of flavors: orange, caramel, apple, cardamon and optional chocolate... it's like the cupcake the couldn't make up it's mind and wants to please everyone. As strange as they sound, the flavors blend together well and are pleasantly complex. If you try them, let me know what you think.

Zucchini Cupcakes/Muffins

3 eggs
1 C sugar
¼  C vegetable oil
8 oz apple sauce
½ C orange juice
2 ½ C flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cardamom
2 C shredded zucchini
vanilla
Optional: chocolate chips 

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients; add to egg mixture; mix well.
Add zucchini and blend well.
Fill greased muffin Cs 2/3 full.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips if desired

Bake at 350* for 23 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Frosting (you'll recognize this, it's my go-to caramel frosting and where I first tried it)

1 C packed brown sugar
½ C butter
¼ C milk
1 tsp vanilla
Icing sugar

Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat.
Cook and stir for two minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Cool to luke warm.
Beat in icing sugar until it reaches spreading consistency.



2 comments:

chksngr said...

Here's the deal...I'm willing to try just about anything that makes a vegetable into a cake...just cuz its a sneaky way to get veggies into the three males in my house...I have to figure out how to do this without eggs, tho...egg allergies make baking challenging...

www.StarHughes.com said...

These look really really good!!! And I am always trying to get veggies into my cakes/cupcakes/muffins too. I can't wait to try this! Yum!