These hearty little cupcakes combine sweetness and zest. Lemon, thyme and zucchini contain vitamin C, important for healthy skin.
Carrot & Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon-Thyme Frosting
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Ingredients
- FOR THE CUPCAKES
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs plus 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons nonfat, 1% or 2% milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup finely shredded carrots
- ¾ cup finely shredded zucchini
- FOR THE FROSTING
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 ounces unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚, and line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper liners. (Depending on how you portion, you may get more than 14 cupcakes.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, white whole-wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together coconut oil and sugar on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, finishing with the egg white. Add milk, honey and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined. Gently stir in carrots and zucchini.
- Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each one-half to three-quarters full. Bake 15–20 minutes, rotating tins halfway through baking time, until cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from tins, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- While cupcakes cool, prepare frosting: In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, honey and thyme on high speed until whipped. Once cupcakes are cooled, top with frosting, and garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves. Store cupcakes in refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Carrot & Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon-Thyme Frosting
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1314
Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g
29%
Saturated Fat 13g
65%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 83mg
28%
Sodium 315mg
13%
Total Carbohydrates 28g
9%
Dietary Fiber 1g
4%
Sugars 16g
Protein 5g
10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
PER SERVING (1 cupcake): 314 cal, 19g fat (5g mono, 1g poly, 13g sat), 83mg chol, 315mg sodium, 28g carb (1g fiber, 16g sugars), 5g protein
