Donna Does...Blake Bakes
A
few weeks ago, in a moment of weakness, I realized that I just didn't
have enough to keep me busy all day. Yup! I needed a few more things to
do, so I joined Blake Bakes! I just submitted my first post - Chocolate
Chip Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. Doesn't the
sound of that make your mouth water?
About Blake Bakes
Blake
and his wife, Bridget love blogging, especially about food. They
started blogging on Blake Makes, and things got so popular over there
that they decided to build Blake Bakes. But, Blake Bakes is
a little different. Although Blake will be blogging at BB, it’s mostly
going to be all of his amazing baker friends that will contribute to
his blog.
Blake Killian, the man behind the blog says, "I love food. My favorite place on the planet (other than my own kitchen) is Whole Foods. I love cookbooks and spend most weekends watching the Food Network and cooking. BLAKE MAKES is something fun for me and Bridget (my wife) to do. It’s part of doing what you love and loving what you do."
Take a look at what all the other bakers are up to at Blake Bakes. There's a lot of talented bakers with tons of time to spare, so they're all whipping up their best for you! I'll be writing there at least once a month, more if the oven stays lit!
Zucchini Bread vs Zucchini Cupcakes
So,
I had this HUGE zucchini that I didn't know what to do with. Everyone
knows the only thing HUGE zucchini is good for is Zucchini Bread! But I
wanted something sweeter than bread or muffins. I wanted frosting -
cream cheese frosting to be more specific! I couldn't just make the
frosting without something to put it on, that would be piggish of me,
so I fiddled with my Zucchini Bread Recipe and came up with these cute little cupcakes! But in all honesty, I could have eaten half the frosting straight from the bowl!
I Love my Wilton silicone "pans"!
Cupcakes, Cupcakes & Too Many Cupcakes!
I
made so many of them I had to give half of them away to the guys at the
dock! I think what I should do is cut a hole in the side of my boat and
put in a Take-Out window! I could throw cupcakes at unsuspecting
boaters. What do you think? You think John would approve?
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes
(an original recipe by ME, Donna Diegel @ Spatulas & Corkscrews)
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and grated zucchini
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate chunks, semi sweet or milk chocolate
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- This recipe makes 24 regular size cupcakes, so line muffin pans with paper or silicone liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl with a hand-held or stand mixer, beat eggs and sugars together. Add oil, vanilla and zucchini and blend well. Scrape bowl.
- With mixer on low speed, add 1/2 the flour mixture and mix. Scrape down bowl and add the remaining flour. Beat on low just until blended and the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Fold in chocolate chips and coconut if desired.
- Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, turning once half way through baking, until pick comes out clean.
- Let sit on cooling racks for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes from pans.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- At this point, the cupcakes can be wrapped in Ziploc Bags and frozen for up to 2 months.
- Makes 24 regular size cupcakes.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup Crisco shortening
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pound (3 1/2 cups) 10X confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tablespoon water, more or less
In case you're wondering, that IS a real duck in the background. He visits every day just to see what I'm baking!
Directions:
- You can skip the shortening and increase the butter to 1/2 cup (whole stick) if you'd like.
- With electric mixer, beat shortening, butter, cream cheese and marshmallow fluff together in a large bowl until creamy. Scrape bowl.
- Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat again. Scrape bowl.
- On low speed, beat in half the confectioners' sugar. Scrape and beat in the remaining 10X sugar, adding water as needed until frosting is nice and fluffy.
- Decorate cupcakes any way you like!
- Cover and refrigerate any leftovers if there are any!
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