Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes feel like the perfect fusion of summer and the ever-closer autumn. They are packed with the moist shredded zucchini that is still growing rampant in the Northwest, and then the cake and frosting are both lightly spiced which throws a nod towards the cozy months to follow.

I think that these are rustic and beautiful with the little flecks of green when you break open the little cakes.

I also wound up making these without cupcake liners, (sometimes when you send your husband to the store for white or brown cupcake liners and he comes back with shiny metallic’s and rainbow stripes (??) you kind of decide to bag them all together). The effect of the cakes and the piped frosting made these feel like little gateau’s in a French bakery instead of plain old cupcakes. Well, maybe I am getting carried away…. But they are cute!

If for no other reason than to use up the gobs of zucchini around, try these cupcakes. They truly are moist and delicious and the subtle spice and sweetness of the cake contrast so nicely with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting!

Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, makes 2 dozen
1 cup vegetable oil
2 ¼ cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
2 cups zucchini, shredded

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the muffin tin with cupcake liners or baking spray.

In a mixer, combine the oil and sugar until well mixed.

Add the three eggs and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine to a thick batter.

Add the shredded zucchini to the batter and stir until the batter is uniform.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and fill them to about ¾ full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes or until just golden brown on top and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cupcakes cool before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Make the frosting while the cupcakes are cooling.

In a mixer, whip together the soft butter and cream cheese.

Add the vanilla and whip until fluffy.

Add the powdered sugar and cinnamon and the milk.

Whip everything to a light, fluffy frosting.

When the cupcakes are cooled completely, frost them with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy!