Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange Marscarpone Frosting

The following cupcake recipe, featuring the bounty of a summer garden and the zest of orange in the frosting makes a first class treat. It was created by Diana's Cocina a fun food blog:

Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes with 

Orange Marscarpone Frosting

• 1&1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1&1/2 cups zucchini, coarsely grated 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoon vanilla 

Mascarpone Frosting

• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar, or to taste
• zest of orange, to taste
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined, do not overmix. 
4. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. 
5. Cool in tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes, turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, make frosting. With an electric mixer blend cheese, sugar, orange zest and vanilla together until smooth. 
7. Using a spatula or butter knife, spread frosting on cupcakes. The frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day. Which in this household, it's no problem :).