- Serves:
- 24
- From:
- By jen
- Source:
Reader's Digest Canada, February 2012
Chocolate-Zucchini Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

Indulge your sweet tooth in these utterly delicious cupcakes on Valentine's Day this year.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
2 oz (60 g) unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1½ cups (375 mL) packed brown sugar
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable oil
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
2 cups (500 mL) coarsely grated zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
Buttercream icing
11/3 cup (325 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
4½ cups (1.125 L) icing sugar
1/4 cup (50 mL) whipping (35%) cream
2 drops red food colouring, or as desired
Cinnamon candy hearts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In double boiler or heatproof bowl set over pot of barely simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Let cool slightly.
3. With stand mixer or in large bowl with electric beaters, beat eggs with brown sugar for about 5 minutes or until thickened and pale. Beat in oil and chocolate.
4. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into egg mixture until just blended. Stir in zucchini. Divide batter among 24 paper-lined or greased muffin cups.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until fork or toothpick inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cool completely.
6. While cupcakes are cooling, with a stand mixer or in large bowl with electric beaters, beat butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then beat in icing sugar until very smooth. Beat in cream and food colouring.
7. Pipe icing or spread with butter knife onto tops of completely cooled cupcakes; decorate with cinnamon candy hearts.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 385 calories, 46.4 g carbs, 22.2 g fat, 2.5 g protein, 0.8 g fibre.
Food styling: Signe Langford; Photography: My Yen Trung
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2 comments
I am really excited to try to make these for V-day. Just picked up the ingredients. One question about the zucchini. Any tips for grating?
Do I peel it beforehand?
Thanks!
This looks delicious, but if I truly love my sweetheart I would NOT eat or serve anything of the sort. Look at the calories, carbs and FAT PER cupcake. How about posting delicious and healthy recipes, yes, even for Valentines.
Re grating zucchini .. leave the peel on after cutting off any damaged bits. Grate with a medium cheese grater, or the grater on your food processor.