I love secret ingredient recipes, and you’d never know there was shredded zucchini hiding inside this moist, chocolatey cake. Even my Picky Eater who normally runs away from zucchini (and many other “green” things) commented that he liked it. The cake is great on it’s own or served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. While I like it best the day it’s made when the chocolate chips are still a little melty, it’s still very good the second day, too (and gets even more moist).
After grating the zucchini, I squeeze the excess water out of it before adding it to the cake batter. Also, I skip the nuts and double the chocolate chips, mixing some of them into the batter and sprinkling the rest on top of the batter. Enjoy!
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
-adapted recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine
The zucchini helps keep the cake moist.
Yield: Serves 12
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)
1 6-ounce package (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan.
Tags: chocolate cake, chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini, zucchini cake
Now I know what to do with all that zucchini in my freezer. Thanks!