We find every excuse to indulge on vacation, and recently, we had more than our share of these delicious tiny cupcakes when we booked a spa treatment during a stay at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa on the beautiful island of Oahu in Hawai`i.
Happily, the chef parted with the recipe – a wonderful little treat made with fresh zucchini and carrots. If you’re counting calories, just skip the buttercream frosting (but a little dab will do). And they top each cupcake with a tiny macaron, another low-fat indulgence.
If you’re lucky enough to be at Aulani, start with the hana pōhaku lomilomi heated stone massage and continue your bliss with one of these little cupcakes that they offer guests at the spa. But if you’re baking at home, this mini-indulgence is a treat all by itself.
Zucchini-Carrot Cupcakes
Makes 30 (2-inch) cupcakes
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup finely diced peeled zucchini
1/2 cup finely diced peeled carrot
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup bran flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 320°F.
- Whisk together eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in zucchini, carrot, oil, and salt.
- Sift together bread flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Gently stir into egg mixture.
- Stir in bran flour and walnuts until incorporated.
- Lightly spray 30 flexible silicone 2-inch mini muffin molds with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop batter into molds, filling cups no more than 1/2 full.
- Cover molds with parchment paper and place a sheet pan on top to keep the cupcake tops flat while baking.
- Bake for 16 minutes. Cool completely. May be stored in freezer in airtight container to maintain moisture.
- If desired, frost with favorite butter cream.
Look below for more posts about Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa:
