Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes
- Author: Weaver's Orchard
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 22 mins
- Total Time: 47 mins
- Yield: 20-24 cupcakes 1x
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1–2 cups applesauce
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with first cup of applesauce, beating well after each addition. Fold in zucchini and carrots. (*My zucchini was frozen, so I drained off the excess liquid and needed all 2 cups of applesauce. See how watery your vegetables are before deciding how much applesauce to use. It should be a thick cake consistency that you can easily spoon off onto the muffin tin.)
- Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with Cherry Buttercream Frosting recipe.