I have a confession. I eat cupcakes for breakfast.
But not just any cupcake. A rich, moist, sweet summer squash cupcake with cream cheese frosting on top. I eat the whole thing (okay, maybe two) till the very end when I’m licking crumbs off the liner and frosting off my fingers. Somehow, I convince myself that it’s all good, since I’m getting my daily intake of veggies. Does the frosting cancel out any “goodness” in the squash?
While summer squash is very subtle in flavor, it adds incredible moisture to the batter. Zucchini is also a type of summer squash, so you can use them interchangeably in this recipe. There’s enough sweetness that you can even omit the frosting for a “healthier” treat.
Technically these are muffins, which qualify them as a breakfast pastry in my world, but the frosting adds a decadent cupcakey twist. So enjoy them, guilt-free!
This recipe makes great use of those overgrown summer squashes the size of your arm (or in my case, head). You do not need to peel the skin before grating; simply cut the squash into manageable hand-held chunks, and grate with a medium or coarse grater.
You might have to bake a few batches to properly use up all that squash. Your neighbors will love you.
Sweet Summer Squash Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Wet Ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups grated summer squash
For the Frosting
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
Making Your Summer Squash Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and olive oil together. Add the grated summer squash and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the batter is evenly mixed.
Using a spoon, divide the batter evenly among a lined muffin pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting. In a small bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese using a pastry blender, electric mixer, or good ol’ fashioned fork.
Add the powdered sugar and mix it all together until the consistency is smooth and even.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Take the cupcakes out of the pan and arrange on a wire rack to let them cool down.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes using a small spatula.
I’ll admit that I did not let the cupcakes cool completely, because I love to smear frosting over them when they’re still warm to get that gooey, messy, melt-in-your-mouth flavor (emphasis on gooey and messy — have lots of napkins handy).
These cupcakes are best eaten by the next day… if they end up lasting that long in your kitchen!
Summer Squash Cupcakes
Technically these are muffins, which qualify them as a breakfast pastry in my world, but the frosting adds a decadent cupcakey twist. So enjoy them, guilt-free!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 3/4 cups grated summer squash
For the Frosting
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and olive oil together. Add the grated summer squash and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the batter is evenly mixed.
- Using a spoon, divide the batter evenly among a lined muffin pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting. In a small bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese using a pastry blender, electric mixer, or good ol’ fashioned fork.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix it all together until the consistency is smooth and even.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Take the cupcakes out of the pan and arrange them on a wire rack to let them cool down.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes using a small spatula.
Notes
These cupcakes are best eaten by the next day.
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these look delicious!!! and i want to stick my finger in that cream cheese icing!
mmm…these look good!
SUPER good… I ate almost the whole batch myself!