Zucchini Week: Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve had these cupcakes on my list of things to try since last summer, so when I found myself with all that zucchini that needed to be used up, they were the first thing I thought of. And man, am I ever glad I finally got around to making these!

These cupcakes are so incredibly good -- rich and chocolaty, with cinnamon and brown sugar for warmth and walnuts for crunch and chocolate chips to provide those little pockets of gooey deliciousness throughout the entire cupcake. And the frosting is to-die-for delicious: thick, creamy, rich and sweet. I definitely had some intense love for these cupcakes, and my whole family really loved them too. They’ll be a summer baking staple for us from now on.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
source: adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

For the cupcakes:

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups grated zucchini

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar for about 10 minutes or until thickened and pale. Blend oil, vanilla and cooled chocolate into the beaten egg mixture.

3. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Stir in zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts.

4. Spoon batter into 24 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until fork or toothpick inserted in a cupcake’s center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely.

5. To make frosting, mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time. Mix in cocoa powder. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.