Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

I never get tired of seeing the disbelief on people’s faces when they find out that the secret ingredient in these incredibly moist cupcakes is the humble zucchini!

You won’t be able to taste it, but boy does the zucchini work a treat in this recipe for texture.

Plus you’re technically eating a vegetable, so that makes them healthy... right?! 😆

Makes 12-15 cupcakes.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• 150g nuttelex

• 1 cup water

• 3/4 cup raw caster sugar

• 1 medium zucchini (~200g)

• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda

• 1/2 cup aquafaba

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 250g self raising flour (alternatively, you can sub this for 250g spelt flour + 4 tsp baking powder)
  

  Icing

• 2 cups icing sugar

• 1/2 cup nuttelex

• 3 tbsp cocoa powder

• 1 tbsp plant based milk
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the cocoa, nuttelex, water and sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until the nuttelex has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

2. Finely grate the zucchini and squeeze out all of the excess liquid. Set aside.

3. Pour the cocoa mixture into a mixing bowl and sprinkle over the bicarb soda. Whisk to combine and then add the aquafaba and vanilla.

4. Sift in the flour and whisk until smooth. Stir in the zucchini and mix until well combined.

5. Divide the mixture into a lined cupcake baking tray, filling each one 5mm from the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

6. To prepare the icing: sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the nuttelex, cocoa powder and plant based milk.

7. Using electric beaters, mix slowly to begin with and then gradually turn up the speed to high and beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

8. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.