Zucchini Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

My sister-in-law and I love zucchini so much that my parents make sure they have a zucchini plant for each of us in their garden.  Now thats love :)

Most of the time I use it to make my Summer Garden Pasta for dinner or I'll make zucchini blueberry bread, but this week I decided to make something a little sweeter...cupcakes!

I cut off the ends and toss the zucchini in my food processor to grate it - no need to peel it.  You can also use a box grater, but I like to let my food processor do the work for me cause I'm lazy like that :)

Cinnamon cream cheese frosting is sooooooo good!  This is the same frosting I use on my pumpkin cupcakes in the fall.  You must try it.  Seriously make some now!

My beloved zucchini plant :)

Zucchini never tasted so good!

Zucchini Cupcakes with

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

3 eggs 1/2 C canola oil 1 1/3 C sugar 1/2 C orange juice 2 1/2 C flour 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1 1/2 C shredded zucchini  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with paper liners. Combine eggs, sugar, oil and orange juice in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until blended. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the zucchini and mix well. Now fold in the shredded zucchini. Fill paper liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until done.  Cool on a wire rack.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together in a stand mixer.  Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.

Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy. 

Frost cooled cupcakes.

I use a Wilton 1M tip to frost my cupcakes.