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
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 mini-cupcake or 6 regular cupcake tray with liners.
- Whisk together sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl until thick and smooth. Add zucchini and yogurt; stir well.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Add to sugar mixture; stir until just mixed.
- 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.
