Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange-Cream Frosting

Makes 2 dozen
Time 40 min
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange-Cream Frosting

These are so moist and tasty, you'll hardly notice the zucchini. For a lighter alternative to frosting, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons orange juice and 1 teaspoon orange zest and then dip the top of each cupcake in the glaze.

Special Diets:

VegetarianVegetarian

Ingredients

    1 cuplow-fat buttermilk
    2 teaspoonsbaking soda
    5 cupspowdered sugar, divided
    1/2 cupcanola oil
    2eggs
    2 1/2 cupswhole wheat pastry flour
    2 cupsgrated zucchini
    1 cupsemisweet chocolate chips
    6 tablespoonsNeufchâtel cheese, softened
    2 teaspoonszest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 orange

Exclusively for Prime members in select ZIP codes.

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners; set aside. 

Stir together buttermilk and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat 2 cups sugar and oil together with an electric mixer for 1 minute; beat in eggs one at a time; set aside. 

Toss flour with zucchini and stir into sugar mixture along with buttermilk mixture; fold in chocolate chips. 

Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake until puffed and golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 25 minutes; set aside to let cool completely.

To make frosting, beat together remaining sugar, neufchâtel, orange zest and juice in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

Frost the cupcakes and serve.

Nutritional Info

Serving Size

1 each

Calories

260

Total Fat

9g

Saturated Fat

3g

Cholesterol

30mg

Sodium

150mg

Total Carbohydrate

42g

Dietary Fiber

2g

Total Sugars

31g

Protein

3g

Note: We've provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember - we're cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information. See our Terms of Service.