Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

My daughter just turned one. I can't even believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I was busy cooking up a storm to stock our freezer for her arrival.

This past weekend I found myself trying to make a somewhat healthy but still decadent and crowd pleasing first birthday cupcake.  

In the past year, I haven't given our daughter a whole lot of sugar, salt or processed food. I try my best to make her meals healthy and packed with nutrients while of course making sure that the food is tasty.

 As her first birthday is a special occasion, I decided that as a rite of passage, she really should have cake. Real cake. With real frosting. I figured if I made it myself, at least I would know exactly what was in it and that the ingredients were wholesome.

I realize I haven't been sharing as many recipes lately, but if you have been following me, you know that I have been trying to jam pack everything with as many fruits and veggies as possible. These cupcakes, although a special treat with chocolate and real frosting, were absolutely no exception. They were packed with freshly grated zucchini, apple sauce, yogurt and whole wheat flour. Yes, you read that right. But they were delicious. 

So although they aren't sugar free or fat free, I think these cupcakes were the healthiest decadent, melt in your mouth chocolate cupcakes you would find. Oh, and they had veggies in them to boot!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

2 dozen cupcakes (4 dozen mini cupcakes)

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Apple Sauce

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Full Fat Yogurt

2 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour

3/4 cup Cocoa

1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

3 cups Zucchini, grated

1 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together brown sugar, apple sauce and oil. Mix in eggs, vanilla and yogurt. Set aside.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cups until about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean (except for melted chocolate). Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes about 3 1/2 cups of frosting

1 (8 ounce) pkg Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup Milk

1/4 cup Coconut Oil, liquid

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

5 cups Icing Sugar

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and slightly fluffy. Add the milk, coconut oil and vanilla and beat until combined. Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Slowly add the icing sugar and cocoa mixture, a cup at a time, beating until well combined and all the icing sugar is incorporated. Frost the cooled cupcakes.