Quick but Wonderful Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Here is a use for some of the season's abundant zucchini that is far different from my last post. This one is a dessert reminiscent of an old-timey picnic, but it starts out with a cake mix so it's an option for even your busiest day.  Making cupcakes instead of cake also shortens the time the oven has to be heating up your kitchen, a big plus if you have been brushing with triple digits as we have much of this summer.

Oh, and my initial testing panel has declared these "the best ever" chocolate cupcakes. They are moist, chocolate-y, and far richer tasting than their list of ingredients might indicate. The miniature chips and walnut chunks add enough texture that no one will ever guess the presence of zucchini if you don't give the secret away.

Just about any brand of cake mix will do here, but do choose one of the darker chocolate cake varieties. When I recently purchased some mixes, the brand that was on sale had at least six different chocolate variations, from German chocolate to devils food to fudge and beyond. Any of them would probably have worked with this recipe, but I definitely prefer the darker flavors and think they work much better with the zucchini.

Next time cake mixes are on special, plan to pick up a few chocolate ones to have on the shelf for these quick nuggets of flavor. (This recipe will work with frozen shredded zucchini too. Just thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding to the batter.)

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

1 standard 2 layer size chocolate cake mix--preferably dark chocolate or fudge rather than devils food
3 eggs
1/2 c water
1/2 c oil
2 c grated zucchini, gently packed--do not drain
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Combine all ingredients except nuts and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend well and then beat for 3 minutes, scraping down the batter occasionally.
2.  Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts until well mixed.
3.  Line standard sized muffin pans with paper cupcake liners. (If desired, spray each one lightly with non-stick spray.) Spoon the batter evenly into the cups, filling each about half full. This recipe makes 24 to 27, depending on the size of your pans. If you do not have enough muffin pans to make all the cupcakes at once, you may set the batter aside while waiting for the first cupcakes to bake.
4.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14 to 15 minutes, until the center of each cupcake is springy to the touch or a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not overbake.
5.  Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cupcakes stay in the pan for a few minutes before lifting each one out on to the rack to finish cooling.
6.  Frost with a basic powdered sugar icing and sprinkle immediately with a few miniature semisweet chocolate chips.

Basic Powdered Sugar Frosting

2 T softened butter
powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t cinnamon (optional)
milk

1.  Put the softened butter in a bowl and stir in about 1 cup of powdered sugar, along with the vanilla and cinnamon if used.
2.  Blend well and then gradually add a small amount of milk (a tablespoon or two). Add another cup or so of powdered sugar, mix well and then a little more milk.
3.  Continue alternating powdered sugar and SMALL amounts of milk until you have used about 3 1/2 to 4 cups of powdered sugar (approximately one pound) and just enough milk to obtain a thick spreading consistency.

This amount will frost about two dozen cupcakes or cinnamon rolls or a 9 X 13 cake.

Variations:  Substitute cream cheese for part or all of the butter. Use lemon, almond, or orange extract in place of or in addition to the vanilla. Increase the cinnamon or delete entirely. Use orange or other fruit juice in place of some or all of the milk. (Note that using juice may initially give a "curdled" appearance to the mix, so you will need to beat a little more to obtain a smooth texture.)

Quick Chocolate Fix

In the interest of trying to add a little fiber and moisture into a plain old cake mix, this recipe uses UNSWEETENED applesauce in place of the liquid and about half the fat. The topping goes together quickly and removes any need for frosting. Cupcakes seem to work best for this, as the topping can sometimes cause the center of an entire cake to sink a bit.

Chocolate Applesauce Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix, 2 layer size--I prefer the "fudge" variants over devils food, but any chocolate variety will do
3 T oil
2 eggs
2 c unsweetened applesauce (or a 15 oz can or jar if not homemade)

Topping
2 T sugar
1 T butter, softened
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c miniature or regular semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and applesauce and beat for 3 minutes.

2. Spoon the batter into cupcake liners in a standard muffin pan.

3. Cream the sugar and butter and stir in the nuts and chocolate chips. Sprinkle evenly over the cupcake batter.

4. Bake at 350 degrees 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from pans to cool.

Makes 20 to 24.

Raspberry Apple Cake

My "ever-bearing" raspberries are well into their second crop, and I can barely keep up with the harvest this year. If you have access to a similar supply, this cake will make a wonderful dessert. Sorry, but those who have to buy raspberries will hardly find this a "frugal" recipe. When strawberries are next in season, I may a substitution.

We first enjoyed this dessert as a birthday cake for my six-year-old grandson. The richness of the cake eliminates the need for any frosting (though a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream is a good addition), but no one seemed to mind not having a traditional-looking cake. Wish I could tell you how well it keeps, but it was eaten too quickly to know!

About the yield: I adapted this from several recipes on the internet. Since most of these seemed on the small side, I increased the amounts and discovered that my standard angel food cake pan seemed a little too small for the amount of batter that resulted. Six cupcakes were perfect for a six year old's cake (we put them in a circle on a plate and inserted a candle in each one), and the kids ate cupcakes while the adults had slices of the larger cake. Most bundt cake pans and perhaps larger angel food pans would hold the entire batch, but having cupcakes along with a cake provides nice leftovers--and they would freeze well for sharing with a drop in neighbor or friend!

Raspberry Apple Cake and Cupcakes

1 c butter, slightly softened
2 c sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 c ground almonds
1 c finely chopped apples (I used McIntosh, with the peeling left on)
4 eggs
6 T milk
1 t almond extract
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
3 c raspberries +a few more for the top

1. Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and almonds. Using a mixer at low to medium setting, mix in the softened butter until evenly crumbly.
2. Stir in the eggs, milk, flavorings, and apples and beat on low until creamy. Fold in the raspberries.
3. Grease and flour well a 10 inch tube pan and prepare six cupcake liners. (These will release better from the papers if you give each a shot of non-stick spray.) Pour the batter into the pans.
4. If desired, sprinkle the top of the cake with raspberries. Put two to three raspberries on each cupcake, lightly pressing them into the batter.
5. Bake the cupcakes for about 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Bake the cake for about 55 to 65 minutes. If the cake begins to brown too early, turn the oven down to 325 for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a cake plate. This will slice best if cooled for several hours or overnight--if you can wait that long.