This experimental cupcake was inspired by a craving for grapefruit and color-coordination. It’s also seasonal: grapefruit can be harvested anywhere from September to May, which is also the range during which winter squash are stored. The cupcakes’ flavor is subtle and refreshing, with hints of grapefruit’s astringent mouthfeel, leaving room for expression of each grapefruit and squash’s varietal differences. Try different combinations – I used one of our ‘Kabocha’ hybrid squashes and a red grapefruit, and have made the original cupcake recipe with four or five kinds of squash with varied results each time.

Modified from the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes and Margarita Icing recipes in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Makes 12.

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked winter squash or canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup non-dairy or dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest

Icing Ingredients:

• ¼ cup margarine or butter, softened; melted if working without electric mixer
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy or dairy milk
• 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• large pinch of salt

Method:

• If cooking own winter squash: Cut squash in half, remove seeds, place face down in a roasting pan. Bake at 350° F until interior flesh can be easily pierced with a fork – this ranges from 30 minutes to over an hour depending on size. Flesh should scoop out easily with a spoon. Set aside 1 cup of squash for the cupcakes, and run through a food processor if stringy or lumpy. Use remaining squash in another recipe, season and eat as a side dish, or feed to appreciative animals.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
• Stir together squash, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla, and grapefruit zest. *Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Blend with a fork.
• Fill liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 22-24 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack. While cupcakes cool, assemble icing.
• Melt margarine or butter in a small pot or in the microwave if you do not own an electric mixer. If working in solid form, mash margarine or butter in bowl with fork until soft. Stir in milk, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and salt. Sift in confectioners’ sugar and blend by hand or electric mixer until smooth. Add additional tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar (if too runny) or grapefruit juice (if too thick) until desired consistency is reached – it can be spreadable or drizzleable.
• When cupcakes are completely cooled, spread or drizzle icing on top, or dip each into bowl of icing. Decorate with pale pink or orange sugar crystals, additional grapefruit zest, or candied grapefruit peel.

(Originally posted on the Laughing Duck Permaculture blog in 2015.)