With gardens and farmers markets bursting with fresh vegetables, now is the time to bake them into something sweet. David Guas, chef and owner of Damgoodsweet Consulting Group, has the perfect summer recipes: Zucchini pound cake with brown butter icing and Spicy carrot ginger cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting. Try these simple recipes at home!
Zucchini pound cake with brown butter icing
Chef David Guas
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 whole eggs (large, Grade A)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (grate using a box grater)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the inside of 4 small loaf pans with softened butter and flour. (To flour, add approximately 2 tablespoons flour to each pan. Over a trash can or kitchen sink, shake the pan so the flour evenly coats the bottom and sides. Tap out the excess.)
Add sugar, oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla extract, to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat about 1-2 minutes.
In another bowl, sift dry ingredients. Slowly add half of sifted dry ingredients to wet mixture. Let batter come together before adding remaining sifted dry ingredients. Fold zucchini in by hand, using a rubber spatula. Portion batter evenly into 4 prepared pans. Place pans onto a baking sheet and into preheated oven, on center rack. Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and continue cooling on rack. Cool completely prior to icing.
Brown butter icing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup whole milk
Over medium-high heat, brown the butter in a small sauce pan; look for the butter to begin to foam and take on a slightly brown tint. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, vanilla, and milk. Add the browned butter and whisk until smooth. Add a bit more milk if it needs to be thinner. Place cooled loaves on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Pour the icing over top of each loaf. Let icing harden slightly, approximately 15-20 minutes (pound cakes may be stored up to 3 days in an airtight container).
Spicy carrot ginger cupcakesChef David Guas
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup grated fresh ginger (to produce 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1 whole egg (large, Grade A)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with paper baking liners.
Peel fresh ginger and grate using a box grater. Squeeze juice from grated ginger into a small glass bowl and reserve juice.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs and milk. Whisk lightly by hand. Add sugar, pineapple, and oil. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until well combined. Add carrots and 2 tablespoons ginger juice.
In another bowl, sift dry ingredients. Add half of sifted dry ingredients to wet mixture. Incorporate fully before adding remaining sifted dry ingredients.
Fill each cupcake liner three-quarters full. Place cupcake pan on center rack of preheated oven. Bake approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in the pan on a cooling rack. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
Honey cream cheese frosting
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup honey (clover, tupelo, or wildflower)
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add cream cheese and butter. Beat for 2 minutes. Add honey and continue to mix. Slowly add sugar and continue to mix until all of the sugar is combined and the frosting is smooth (frosting may be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator). Using a small butter knife or off-set spatula, spread approximately 2 tablespoons frosting evenly on top of each cupcake.