Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon-Ginger Mousse and Yogurt Buttercream

I am not a muffin! Actually, I am, in fact, a muffin. But I have cake flour in me so I'm poufy!

I've been thinking about these cupcakes for awhile now. I liked the
carrot cupcakes I made recently, but they were definitely autumnal (and I made them in July!). And now that it is October here, I present to you...a summery cupcake. Because that's just how I roll.

Except that it's a muffin. I mean, really. It looks way more like a cupcake than other muffin-y cupcakes I've made, and that has a lot to do with the cake flour, but the method is pure muffin. And that's okay. It means you don't have to haul the mixer out...for the cupcake part. It's going to get a lot of play afterwards, though, so keep it handy.

I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite cupcakes that I've made. The spice in the cake is subtle, and the zucchini keeps the cake super-moist. The lemon mousse filling is tart-tart-tart - and that's on purpose - with the heat at the back of your throat from the ginger. And the frosting has all the tanginess you love about cream cheese frosting while being a great deal lighter - and the lemon zest there just makes it. It's all about the perfect bite - the mild, moist cake with the sour, creamy mousse and the rich buttercream. That's what I like so much about it, I think.

That being said...I made these for a potluck. One thing you might want to consider when bringing zucchini cupcakes to a potluck is that if you don't have a sign indicating that "Hey! There's zucchini in here!" you're going to have people ripping your cupcakes apart and wondering about the green stuff on the inside (see image below). Plus, remember how I said it's a perfect bite? There's always going to be that one guy who decides to dissect his cupcake and eat the components individually ("Well, I said the mousse was tart!"). Still, pucker-face can wound the pride of the cupcake baker ("hey, buddy - I'm sitting right across from you!"). The gentleman in question did later tell me that the cupcake was very good ("Too little, too late, bucky!") so I ought to let my resentment about the whole thing go (except for the parenthetical comments, which are cracking me up over here).

The new rule being - know your audience. Or, try not to watch when they are ripping your babies into pieces and making faces in front of your very eyes. They are probably really good people. They just don't get it.

Anyhoodle - this will make about 24 excellent cupcakes. I hope you like them as much as I did.

~ For the cupcakes/fancy muffins/oh, whatevers ~

3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini (use a large box grater or the grating disk of your food processor)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two twelve-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners (or grease really well - but honestly, just get the cupcake liners. SO much easier).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices - set aside. 

(Now, ask me if I do this. Nope. But really, you ought to.) In a separate bowl, combine together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla - mix well, using a wire whisk if you have them or a fork if you do not. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the grated zucchini.

Fill the lined muffin tins about 2/3 full with the cupcake batter. Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool for about 5 minutes while still in the pans, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cupcakes are done! Now make your filling...

~ Lemon-Ginger Mousse Filling ~

2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 egg yolks
1/2 - 3/4 cup lemon juice (I used the whole amount for a super tart mousse. Read above.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks and chill until needed.

Place the egg yolks in a glass or metal bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat until the sugar is dissolved. Start whisking the egg yolks and slowly stream the hot sugar syrup into them. Place the bowl over pot of boiling water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk the mixture constantly for about ten minutes, or until the egg yolk mixture thickens and lightens in color.

After it has thickened, remove the bowl from the heat, and transfer the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes or until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch.

Add in the lemon juice and the ginger to the egg mixture, and beat with the paddle attachment until well combined.

Fold a third of the whipped cream into the mixture to help lighten in, then fold next third, and then the last of it, using a lighter touch with each addition. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the cupcakes for filling by cutting out a cone shaped piece from the top of each one. Slice away any extra cake (go ahead and eat these) from the widest part of the cone (this is your lid). Keep in mind that the size of the opening is the amount of filling you can fit into the cupcake, and cut accordingly. Spoon in a bit of the mousse into each cupcake and replace the lid on top. Keep in refrigerator until ready to frost.

Ok, this is a messy photo. YOU slice a lighter-than-air cupcake (MUFFIN!) filled with an airy mousse. Go ahead. Do it. I'll wait. Oh, okay. Now do it with a two-year-old clinging to your leg. HA!

~ Yogurt Buttercream with Lemon Zest ~

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup plain greek yogurt

Grated zest of two lemons

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 -5 cups powdered sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the yogurt, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Add in the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. I tend to use a pastry bag to pipe on the buttercream, so I like my frosting to be fairly stiff, and probably I should have used even more powdered sugar in the recipe to attain that end. If you're just spreading it on with a knife, four cups ought to do it. Use your eyes and your own judgement - if it looks like it's going to slide right off the cupcakes, add more powdered sugar. It will firm up if chilled, but as it comes to room temperature it's going to soften again).

Once the frosting ingredients are well combined, frost the filled cupcakes. If you want to make yours look like the one in the picture, use a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Or just plop it on with a knife. It all tastes the same (although I do think you get more frosting with the pastry bag. Just sayin').

Keep these stored in the refrigerator, because of all the dairy involved, but do try to let them come to room temperature before serving.