4.06.2010

Chocolate-Zucchini Cupcakes

The end of Easter left me with two predicaments-

1. Almost a whole pint of Buttermilk

2. WAY too much Easter candy


And after making the go-to country buttermilk biscuits (that went very well with chicken fried steak and parsley potatoes- yeah, I know...terrible for you! Ohhh, it was so gooood, though!), I was stumped with what else to do with the left over buttermilk. One can only eat so many biscuits!

Thanks to
PinkOfPerfection, I stumbled upon some fantastic recipes using buttermilk. One of which being Chocolate-Zucchini Cake.


I have made traditional zucchini cake many times, so the thought of mixing a vegetable with something sweet did not concern me...but, I must admit I never once considering this kind of flavor combination. Naturally, this sparked a "gotta absolutely make this never heard, seen or tasted confection...like RIGHT NOW!" response!


I found a highly rated recipe here and went to grating zucchini!

I did make a few changes including adding about a cup of dark chocolate chips and my secret weapon for all chocolate based cakes, a little coffee, to the batter.

Also, nearly all the recipes I found did not include a frosting- rather a chocolate chip/toasted nut topping...but, you know I have to do it my own little way...so, I topped my mini cakes with cream cheese frosting instead.

I finished each one by rolling them in chocolate curls, clear sugar crystals or chocolate sprinkles.


Now, I read the reviews at epicurious.com, so I had very high expectations. But, nothing could have prepared me for the uber-deliousness that is chocolate-zucchini cake! The cake itself is super chocolaty without being overly sweet and perfectly moist (thanks to this recipe's hero- the 2 cups of zucchini)! The chocolate chips give a nice bite to the cake and I promise you, you'd never know they were laced with vegetables! Can I also give myself two thumbs up for the cream cheese frosting? I mean, what a phenomenal pairing!


I made 2 dozen on Wednesday, which is church night at my house. So, those that make it to class will be greeted with a delight. I'm always nervous about sharing a new recipe...even when I've tried it and loved it...because you just never know, ya know!?! But, I don't think it would be possible not to love this cake!


So, if you ever find yourself wondering what to do with left over buttermilk or your garden is producing more zucchini than you can eat, you now have a chef tested/church group approved recipe at your fingertips! Now, I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with all of this leftover Easter chocolate!

ENJOY!

Jade Cahoon
Sweet Street Designer Cakes and Cupcakes

Collage courtesy of
missandrea.typepad.com

0 comments: