Zucchini Spice Delight

when i was home i took advantage of a vegetable in the garden.  ZUCCHINI!  i wish i had a garden all the time.  it would be so much more fun to cook when i am using fresh fruits and veggies.  i decided to make the zucchini spice cupcakes since we had too many ripe zucchinis in the garden.  they were soooo good. and just like the blueberry ones, i felt like i was eating healthy when i ate them!  haha. well if i at them without the cream cheese frosting on top.  

the best part was i had plenty to take back to utah with me so i was able to enjoy them for days.  :)  i even brought two to fresno this weekend to share with everyone out here. i think they were skeptical of them being so old. but they were still moist and yummy. 

my favorite frosting in the world is cream cheese frosting.  that's why i love sprinkles so much. they use cream cheese frosting.  mmm... :) when i went to sweet tooth fairy cupcakes i was so disappointed. there frosting was nasty.  there oreo cupcake tasted too much like coconut. sick.

i remember having a birthday cake covered with coconut shavings when i was little and i cried because i didn't like it.  the only thing coconut i like is ocean water from sonic.  love that blue tongue goodness. :)

Enjoy!!

Zucchini Spice Cupcakes
Yields: 24 cupcakes 

3 cups all purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 cups packed grated zucchini
1 cup walnuts (about 3 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla, and zest until well blended; whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Stir in zucchini, then add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in walnuts.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

To finish, use an offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.