Zucchini Cupcakes

This is my all-time favorite cupcake recipe!

If you have zucchini's in your garden, go pick one and come back to make these cupcakes. 

I could literally eat the whole batch. 

My grandma used to bake them all of the time in the summer, and now I've taken over her job and have made 3 batches in one week. 

They're easy and delicious.

Plus one batch of icing typically will ice 3 batches of cupcakes.

Items Needed:

3 Eggs

1 1/3 C. Sugar

1.2 C. Vegetable Oil

1/2 C. Orange Juice

1 tsp. Almond Extract

2 1/2 C. Flour

2 tsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves

1 1/2 C. Shredded Zucchini

Caramel Frosting:

1 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 - 2 C. Powdered Sugar or until it's thick enough to spread

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cut and shred 1 1/2 C. zucchini.

Combine the first five ingredients. Mix.

Combine the dry ingredients together. Mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the first five. Mix. 

Add the zucchini. Mix. 

Line cupcake pans with papers. 

It usually makes 12-24 cupcakes depending on how full you fill them. 

I like to fill them about 3/4 full. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. 

Cool completely. 

For frosting:

Combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. 

Bring to a boil over medium heat. 

Cook and stir for 2 minutes. 

Remove from heat. 

Stir in vanilla. 

Cool to lukewarm. 

Add in powdered sugar. 

I typically find it needs more powdered sugar than the 1-2 cups. 

I like my icing thicker. 

You can put the icing in the fridge an allow it to get cold.

Then, take it out allow it to get a little warmer, so you can spread it and it tends to be thicker.

After you ice these cupcakes they don't tend to last too long. 

They are usually best if eaten within 2 days. 

If you're like me, they won't last that long. 

I love to give them to my family and neighbors. 

They remind me so much of summers past with my grandma.