Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

My team at work likes to hold “Wine, cheese and baked goods Fridays” every other Friday. It’s a pot luck of sorts, where people bring in their favourite reds and whites, stinky cheeses, creamy cheeses, and I am usually the one bringing baked goods (seeing as I bring them every Friday anyway!) We sit in the sun outside our building and everyone has a great time.

However, I don’t like my cheese with wine. Because I don’t like wine.

I apologize to all the people out there whose sensibilities I just offended.

What I do like my cheese with is sweetness. With fruit preserves, rich chocolate, candied pecans or perhaps whipped full of powdered sugar. Obviously we’re not talking sharp cheddars here, but creamy smooth mascarpones, oozey warm brie and tangy cream cheese. I have trouble eating any of the creamier cheeses without trying to figure out a way to make dessert out of it. It’s like a sickness. A delicious sickness.

Two weeks ago, someone brought in some extremely creamy goat cheese to go with the wine. I had it with a cracker, but I thought it would make a wonderfully tangy frosting. Like cream cheese frosting taken to the next level. So I searched out options on my usual go to blogs and websites and happened to stumble across something especially magical.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes filled with Chocolate Ganache and Topped with Creamy Goat Cheese Frosting.

Just reading through the title, it’s as if the cupcake is trying to one-up itself repeatedly. I’m not just Chocolate! There’s also Zucchini! And chocolate ganache… as a filling! AND goat cheese frosting! You know you waaant it.

I do cupcake… I do.

But I had some trouble. It was 90+ degrees, the kitchen was even hotter than that from the oven. I was not able to make the goat cheese frosting, the inspiration for the cupcake. Well, I tried…

It turned into a goat cheese glaze. But you know what? It was delicious that way too. I definitely want to try the frosting again on a cooler day, but in the meantime, ooey gooey glaze? I think I can be into that.

filled with Chocolate Ganache and Topped with Creamy Goat Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Bakerella

Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa, natural unsweetened
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 3.5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped in chunks

Goat Cheese Frosting

• 5 oz. mild goat cheese, room temperature
• 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

• 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped in chunks
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Directions

1. Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350º F
2. Line cupcake trays with 18 baking cups.
3. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
4. Cream butter with a mixer in a large bowl. Add sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
5. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour)
6. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chunks until combined.
7. Fill baking cups 2/3 full and place in oven immediately.
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
9. Frosting: Sift sugar and set aside.
10. Beat the goat cheese, cream cheese and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy.
11. Gradually add the sugar, mixing and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl in between additions.
12. Ganache: Place chocolate and whipping cream in the microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Blend thoroughly.
13. Add sugar and stir until thoroughly combined.
14. Pour ganache into a small plastic squeeze bottle.
15. Assembly: Insert opening of squeeze bottle halfway into cupcake center and squeeze ganache until you see it start to surface.
16. Then, spread creamy goat cheese frosting on top with a knife or small offset spatula.
17. Use any leftover semi-sweet chocolate pieces to sprinkle on top of cupcakes.

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