Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Butter Glaze

Apparently my recipe for Chocolate Zucchini bread that I posted a while back has begun to gain some new popularity lately. Which of course caused me to have some cravings for Zucchini bread. Add that to the fact that I bought four zucchini at the market this weekend and I knew I was going to have to make some bread.

However, I found a recipe for Zucchini cupcakes and thought I would give that a try at the last minute.

I think I may have found a new recipe for plain old Zucchini bread in the process. Let me explain. My grandmother's recipe is for a chocolate bread. These cupcakes have no chocolate whatsoever in them. Which is what I like. While I constantly get compliments on my grandmother's recipe I always find it to be too chocolatey. I plan on trying these cupcakes into a bread but in cupcake form they are delicious. Jam packed full of flavor and extremely moist. They would be wonderful as a muffin too.

Actually, my kids preferred them that way as well. I felt that the Caramel Butter Frosting overpowered the cupcake flavor so next time it's just bread or muffins for this recipe.

But what a way, to start back my cupcake sales!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Cupcakes

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 vegetable oil

1/2 orange juice

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

Caramel Butter Frosting

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 - 2 cups confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Add zucchini and mix well.

Fill cupcake wrappers two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter and milk in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat; cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.

Graudally beat in confectioner's sugar until frosting is desired consistency. Frost. Yields 2 dozen.