Zucchini and Yellow Squash Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

As usual I had some produce that I wanted to use so it didn't go to waste.  I had a HUGE zucchini and a HUGE yellow squash.  I wasn't in the mood to make something savory so I made these really delicious cupcakes.  It's a combination of a few recipes plus with a bunch of changes I made myself.  The end result was a really YUMMY one.  I made 24 zucchini cinnamon chip cupcakes and 24 yellow squash cinnamon chip cupcakes but I think next time I'll just combine the two.  Good thing I made 48 cupcakes because I wanted to bring at least 24 to a friends house and my family (my husband and 3 kids ate ALL the other 24 in less than a day).  I guess they liked them.  I thought they were delicious without the frosting but with the frosting, WOW!  I never made a caramel frosting before and now it's a new favorite of mine. 

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup apple juice 

1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups zucchini or yellow squash, grated (you could also do a combination of both)

1 cup of cinnamon chips

Caramel Frosting

1/2 lb caramels unwrapped (about 28 caramels)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup water 

3-4 cups powdered sugar

Preparation:

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill muffin tins with cupcake liners. Wash and grate zucchini, set aside.   In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and apple juice, set aside.  In a medium bowl whisk together, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet until completely combined.  Mix in the grated zucchini and cinnamon chips..  Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full

Bake for about 15 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
Melt caramels in water in top of double boiler over boiling water, stirring now and then.  Cool sauce to room temperature. Thoroughly cream the butter add salt.  Add sugar alternately with the caramel sauce, blending till frosting is smooth and creamy.  You can spread the frosting on with a knife or put frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a large circle or large star tip and pipe frosting out.  A little goes a long way.....this frosting is very sweet.