Carrot and Zucchini Cupcakes w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Medically reviewed by Christiana George Updated Date: June 8, 2023

Time to bake again.  I signed up for baking once a month for my daughter’s school.  I needed new victims for my recipes.  Kids like cupcakes with frosting, but they don’t know that these come with veggies.  We will see how they like them.  My daughter taste tested them and said they were yummy.  I wanted to use zucchini, but this time I wanted to try a new recipe.  This one I found in the Better Homes and Garden Magazine.  It was a recipe for bars, but I made it into mini cupcakes.

Carrot and Zucchini Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots (3 medium)
  • 1 medium zucchini, shredded (1 cup)
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup cooking oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • teaspoon vanilla


1.
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda. In another large bowl stir together eggs, carrot, zucchini, brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, oil, honey, and vanilla. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.  Divide mixture into lined mini muffin pans.



2. Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

The frosting they suggested was a Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting. Basically 8 oz. cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp lemon or orange peel.  I decided I wanted to use the Maple Cream Cheese frosting I had used previously.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 10oz. cream cheese
  • 5 tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread, 30min

Mmmmm….now doesn’t that look inviting.



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Maple Bacon Scones

Christiana George

Ok, yeah I know, scones are not very summery, but I don’t care.  I was in the mood for something maple bacon and this is what I decided upon.  While everyone else is making ice cream, popsicles, and macaroni salad, I am going to wolf these down.  There is no shame in having a maple bacon addiction.  I’ll stand up and shout it proudly.  For those of you out there that are with me on this, come on over.

Try not to eat all the bacon as you crumble it up to throw it in the mix.  I know it is a challenge, but you can do it.

I rolled the dough into a ball and flatten it out by hand.  Don’t use a rolling pin because it will affect the texture of the scone after it is baked.  I have learned this from experience.



Before putting these in the oven, I sprinkled them with cinnamon and granulated maple sugar.  I bought this container in Nova Scotia, but I did see some in the baking aisle at my supermarket the other day, so you should be able to find some in stores.  If not, just add the cinnamon.

Oh yeah, baby.  These look good.  Of course you can’t beat the smell of maple and bacon.  Now you can leave these as are, but what fun would that be.  Since I added chocolate to my Maple Bacon Rice Krispie Treats, I though why not add some to my scones.

 I had some Baker’s chocolate on hand, so that is what I used, but feel free to use whatever chocolate you have on hand.

I used a piping bag to make my stripes, but you don’t need to be all neat.  You can just drizzle with a fork.

Yep, these are definitely keepers.  The have just the right amount of maple and bacon flavor.  They are not too sweet and they are on the drier side, for those of you who like a drier scone.  They do crumble.  And the chocolate just takes them over the top. 

Maple Bacon Scones

by The Sweet Chick



Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast dessert snack bacon maple chocolate scones American spring fall winter

Ingredients (8 large scones)

For the scones

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons maple essence
  • 6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon granulated maple sugar

For the topping

  • 3 oz. Baker’s semi sweet chocolate squares

Instructions

For the scones



Preheat oven to 425º F.

In a small bowl add vinegar to the milk and set aside until it forms curds, about 5-10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut up butter and add to flour mixture.

Then add egg, milk mixture, and maple essence and mix until completely incorporated.

Next mix in the crumbled bacon. The batter will be a dough like consistency.

Take the dough and roll it into one big ball. Place the ball onto a lightly floured surface and flatten out to about an inch thick. With a knife or pizza cutter, divide the dough circle into equal triangles. I made eight big scones, but you can make yours a little smaller if you like.

Sprinkle the top of the triangles with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and the granulated maple sugar.

Separate the triangles and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 425ºF for 15 minutes or until tops are golden.



For the topping

When scones have cooled off, melt the chocolate in a glass container in the microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted. Place melted chocolate in a piping bag or a Ziplock bag with tip cut off and drizzle over the tops of the scones. Let the chocolate set and then it’s time to eat and enjoy!



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