The Spoon

Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Do you have any zucchini still hanging around your kitchen? You know, those gargantuan stringy seedy suckers no one likes to eat? If so, great, because they’re perfect to use in this simple cake recipe. If not, than any size zucchini will do. This is one of my favorite things to make in the autumn, when overgrown zucchinis are everywhere and the warm smell of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg perfectly complements the fall foliage.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour milk (if you don’t have any going bad in the fridge right now, 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar stirred into it will do)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups unpeeled grated zucchini
1/2 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate chips (or, if you’re like me, as much as you can put on top of the batter)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and butter and flour a 9″ x 12″ pan. Cream together the butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and soured milk. Beat all these ingredients until well blended. Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to the creamed mixture and beat well. Gently fold in the zucchini. Be sure not to over mix the batter at this point. Pour it into the cake pan and evenly scatter the chocolate chips on top. They will sink into the batter as it bakes. Bake the cake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. You can serve it as is, or decorate it with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Posted in Cakes & Sweets, Dessert, Recipes | 1 Comment »