Fudgy Olive Oil Cupcakes

Posted by Olivia on Tue, March 15, 2011

We all deserve a little reward, so why pass by an opportunity to make a sweet treat? 

These decadent, tasty cupcakes are not your normal cakey mix. They are actually more like a moist, fudgy brownie—yum! Two secret ingredients in this batter make these fudge-cakes better than the boxed stuff: heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil and garden fresh zucchini. It’s a spring recipe, after all!

We used our delicate Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil for these cupcakes; it’s not too strong and has a gentle sweet finish. For a fluffy finish, we topped the cooled cupcakes with a whipped vanilla frosting, but use whatever frosting you like best—or just enjoy them plain and fudgy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup Sevillano Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup finely grated fresh zucchini

• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• Frosting, optional, as needed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 mini-cupcake or 6 regular cupcake tray with liners.
2. Whisk together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until thick and smooth. Add zucchini and yogurt; stir well.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Add to sugar mixture; stir until just mixed.
4. Pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake until cupcakes are set and feel a bit springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes for mini cupcakes and 22 to 25 minutes for regular cupcakes. Cool in tins 10 minutes; remove from tins and cool completely on wire racks. Frost with favorite topping if desired.

Makes 12 small or 6 large cupcakes.