For my first post I decided to try a recipe that I have been wanting to try for some time now. The thought of chocolate and Zucchini to me was interesting. I imagined that they would be Dense moist cakes. The end result was not what I was expecting but these cakes are REALLY yummy, not sweet like your normal cupcake more savoury, imagine carrot cake. and they are moist and light.
I topped them with a Chocolate Fudge Buttercream frosting from the Crabapple cupcake book YUM I am impressed and will do these again. I also think these would be great with a cream cheese frosting even Lemon icing would be nice to add a sweet tartness to the cakes.
Chocolate & Zucchini Cupcakes
Makes Approx 16
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup Conola Oil
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs beaten (@ room temperature)
1tablesppon Vanilla (I normally use extract for cannot find the bottle I bought last night for the life of me so had to use essence)
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup Cocoa
1/2 tsp each baking power & Baking soda
1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon & nutmeg
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cups grated Zucchini ( I used 1 lage)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used dark)
Set Oven to approx 170 degrees (this works for me but you may want to work with what your oven work best with as tehy differ greatly). Line you muffin tins with papers or I use the foils only. I feel they give a nicer finish to the cakes
In your mixer with the paddle attachement cream the butter until light and creamy add oil, sugar and eggs and mix until creamy, Add Vanilla and buttermilk and mix until combined thorouhly.
Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture and mix well (do not overwork mixture), add Zucchini and choc chips and mix until just incorporated.
Fill cases with mixture i use a really heaped desert spoon.
because this makes 16 you will obviously not be filling all the holes in the tins. Dont leave them empty though fill the others with water so the tempeature will distribute evenly.
Bake for approx 25 mins or until cakes spring back when tounched or use a skewer. Cool on racks before icing.
Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Frosting
100g Butter Softened
50 g Cream Cheese Softened
3 Cups Sifted Icing Sugar
3/4 cup Cocoa
1 tbs Vanilla
just under 1/2 cup milk
Sift icing and cocoa into seperate bowl
Cream Butter and cream cheese well for about 2 mins until pale and creamy
Add milk, Vanilla and half the icing Mixture beat well for approx 3 mins until light and fluffy. Add rest of icing and beat well until mixture is light, fluffy and of a spreading concistency. Adjust with more milk or icing depending on desired concistency.
Enjoy.
