Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
These Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes are super moist, fluffy, and richly chocolatey. The velvety ganache frosting is heavenly, while zucchini lends moisture and some veggie power!
Servings: 12 standard size
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 1 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, + 2 TB more
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, decaf granules are fine
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup canola oil, + 2 TB more
- 1 ½ cups finely grated zucchini, loosely packed
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, mini's are best, as they melt into the cake well
Orange-Ganache Frosting
- 4 ½ oz semi sweet chocolate morsels
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons orange extract
- Optional garnish: finely shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower middle position. Line or grease a standard muffin pan. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine well.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add oil, zucchini, and mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine well.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Fold gently just until no more dry streaks of flour remain; do not over-mix.
- Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached - be sure to test in a cake-only spot; cracked spots tend to be misleading, since melted chocolate chips sit in those cracks. Cool cupcakes completely.
- Meanwhile, make the Ganache: In a heavy saucepan, add chocolate morsels and heavy cream. Constantly stir on low heat until smooth and melted. Add orange extract and stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool enough for ganache to thicken to a frost-able consistency. Frost as desired and sprinkle with shredded coconut.
Notes
- Make sure to finely grate the zucchini for the cupcake batter. This will help it blend into the batter and cook more evenly, giving you moist and delicious cupcakes.
- Instant coffee granules might seem like an unusual addition, but they actually enhance the chocolate flavor in the cupcakes. Don't skip this ingredient!
- When making the orange-ganache frosting, allow it to cool to a frost-ability consistency before frosting the cupcakes. This will give you a smooth and glossy finish.
- We love using semi-sweet mini chocolate chips in this recipe. They melt into the cake beautifully and give little bursts of chocolate in every bite.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg