Zucchini Pineapple Ginger Cup Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this cup cake yesterday. For a long time I was debating whether to make a cupcake with zucchini. Finally I did it. Zucchini is happy go lucky vegetable, and is ready to mingle with everything, whether it is savory or dessert. However, I am not fully convinced of its ability in the dessert. I want to add Muscovado sugar  for my cupcake, after reading a dessert book. However, buying this sugar turned out to be two day project. When we went to Wal-Mart I saw Turbinado sugar, thinking that this is Muscovado sugar we bought them. Then I realize after researching with Google friend, That both Muscovado sugar and Turbinado sugar is different, the first one is used in tea and coffee, however for baking you need Muscovado sugar, and finally I got it from a specialty store at 1lb for $3. It is expensive, so experiment should to limited to cupcakes and muffins. I was convinced with result, Muscovado sugar imparts golden brown color and taste awesome. 

Then comes searching for right recipe, I have seen zucchini chocolate cakes. However I am not chocolate cake die hard fan, I am fine if I have them or not. So I decided to skip the chocolate part. This recipe is minimally adapted from zucchini cupcakes form here. I had some chopped pineapple pieces in the refrigerator which I incorporated. Then I added some freshly grated ginger, orange zest, orange juice, pineapple juice, almond extract, crushed cardamom, ground cloves and ground cinnamon. Trust me this is a one of the highly aromatic best cup cake I have tasted, my little one started eating them before I even frosted the cupcakes. 

Furthermore I have seen an e-mail in my inbox challenging about making cupcake using squash from Key ingredient. If I win I will get a Demy. Normally I won’t win any contest. My hubby told me doesn’t worry about contest, if you bake a nice cupcake that is fine. If we can enjoy them then you have won (there have been times when we have dumped the entire dish, as it tasted awful). I am really happy that this turned out to be the best cupcake that is easy to put together. 

One year ago: Cabbage thoran

Print recipe from here

What you need. 

 Unbleached All purpose flour: 1 1/3 cup
Grated Zucchini: 1 ¼ cup
Pineapple: ½ cup (chopped finely, I used fresh one)
Muscovado sugar: ¾ cup ( I used Belington Natural Muscovado sugar)
Eggs: 2 no (Bring to room temperature before mixing)
Grated ginger: 1 teaspoon
Grated orange zest: 1 teaspoon
Orange juice: ½ cup
Pineapple juice: 1 tablespoon
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon

Baking soda: ½ teaspoon
Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
Ground cloves: ¼ teaspoon
Crushed cardamom: 3 no
Almond extract: ¼ teaspoon
Salt: ½ teaspoon

For frosting

Unsalted butter: ½ stick
Cream cheese: 4 oz
Powdered sugar: 1 cup
Maple syrup: 3 tablespoon
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon
Heavy cream: ¼ cup (optional, skip this if you want thick frosting)
Coconut: ¼ cup (I used shredded)
Food coloring: 3 drops yellow and 2 drops of red






How I made

Preheat oven 350 degree Fahrenheit. Line the muffin tin with muffin cups or cup cake liner and set aside. 

Grate the zucchini using a box grater and chop the pineapple into small pieces and set aside.

Zest the orange and extract the juice from them and set aside. Grate ginger using a micro plane or a zester and set aside. 

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and salt and set aside. 

In a bowl mix oil and sugar and beat them until everything gets incorporated well. To this add orange juice, pineapple juice, almond extract and mix again for 30 seconds, to this gradually add one egg at time and combine everything well during each addition. 

To this add dry ingredients as two addition, mix well during every addition. 

Finally fold in grated zucchini and chopped pineapples gently in to the batter and set aside.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins.

Bake for 20minutes or until skewer comes out clean. 

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes and remove it and cool in the wire rack for another 1 hour.

To make frosting, bring butter and cream cheese into room temperature and beat well with powdered sugar and maple syrup, heavy cream and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Add food coloring if using at this time. Gently fold in desiccated coconut and mix everything.

Once the cake is completely cooled spread the frosting over the cake and decorate with shredded coconut.

Enjoy!

Preparation time: 35 minutes
Serving: 14 no
Verdict: Yummy. Keeper recipe
Will you make it again: I will

 This is  also going to   Culinary smack down battle Zucchini hosted by Ananda of  a pinch of love
Swathi