Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Kind of a weird concept, I know...but they were so good!  I love how moist zucchini makes baked goods.  The caramel frosting was great, too...it would be tasty on all sorts of cookies, cakes, and other desserts.

 

(Please ignore my poor decorating skills...I am working on them!)

Cupcakes:

3 eggs

1 1/3 C sugar

 1/2 C canola oil

1/2 C orange juice

1 tsp almond extract

2 1/2 (+1/4 for higher elevation) 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

Caramel Frosting:

1 C brown sugar (packed)

1/2 C butter

1/4 C milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 C powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.

Fill 24 cupcake tins with paper-liners or grease them.

Beat the eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice, almond extract, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Add the flour, cinnamon, powder, soda, salt, and cloves and mix until well combined.

Gently stir in the zucchini.

Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then place the cupcakes on a wire rack to finish cooling.
To make the frosting, combine the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a saucepan on medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil and stir for about 2 minutes until it is thickened.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla - let the mixture cool until it is lukewarm.
Beat in the powdered sugar until the desired frosting consistency is attained.
Frost cooled cupcakes.

*This recipe is from Taste of Home.