Chocolate Zucchini Cake
"This started out with a recipe in a Penzey's spice catalog. We tried it just to get rid of some excess zucchini, but it turned out delicious!"
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 18
- Yields:
-
12-16 pieces
ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for dusting pan (preferably Dutch process)
- 2 1⁄2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, more to taste (optional)
- 1⁄2 cup butter, softened,plus additional for greasing pan
- 1⁄2 cup peanut oil or 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 3⁄4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup milk, mixed with
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vinegar (or 1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk)
- 2 1⁄2 cups finely shredded zucchini, drained and juice squeezed out (5-6 small zucchini)
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, more to taste
- unsweetened whipped cream or very lightly sweetened whipped cream, as accompaniment (optional)
directions
- Preheat oven to 325degF.
- Grease a 9"x13" baking pan (preferably glass), and dust generously with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
- Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon, and optional nutmeg, and set aside.
- Cream together the butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy, add eggs, vanilla, and sour milk, and blend well by hand.
- Add drained and squeezed grated zucchini, and stir in well.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the top evenly with chocolate chips, leaving a chip-free 1" diameter area right in the center, and then sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- (That’s what the chip-free spot is for. You will never get a clean toothpick otherwise; it will always be chocolate covered.) If you are using a metal pan, bake at 350degF for 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool to room temperature in pan sitting on wire rack.
- If desired, serve with a dollop of very lightly sweetened whipped cream.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftover cake; this cake is very moist and will mold if left for long at room temperature, but it won't get stale!
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Reviews
-
Great rich cake! Will definitely be a repeat at my house. Used peanut oil, and it added a wonderful flavor. Didn't bother dusting the pan with cocoa and served as is with no whipped cream. Added the cocoa/flour mixture with the zucchini. I love Penzeys and use their spices and cocoa exclusively, it's all wonderful. Thanks for sharing the recipe! -
The combination of chocolate and spices make this an outstanding snack cake. I didn't have buttermilk on hand so used the vinegar and 2% milk. The only thing I will do differently next time is not dust with cocoa ... there was too much cocoa that wouldn't shake out and occasionally a piece would be bitter from excess cocoa. Definitely a keeper and one I will be making on a regular basis. -
Chocolate cake with hidden veg...just what i need to fool my kids...and it did, they loved the chocolate-eeness, it was dense and rich and they ate it all without knowing that there was courgettes in it! A definate keeper - thank you!
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This is one of the many ways that I make use of zucchini. In fact, when the garden is over producing, I shred the zucchini into 2.5 cup portions and freeze it. We can then enjoy this cake (and other bread recipes) year round. I always use buttermilk and have even left off the chocolate chips. I like the combination of the spices and chocolate. The flavor is delish! -
Had a serious hankering for some serious chocolate and this recipe promised to deliver. It did. Dh turns out to be a chocolate whimp, could only eat a few bites. I, however, was transported as only chocolate and a couple of other things can do. I'm afraid I skipped the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and nuts because I don't like anything interfering with my chocolate. I expected the chocolate chips to melt down into the cake but they stayed right up on top. Because of that, I think, the chips crystalized a bit. Added a bit of crunch. The cake is moist without being dense and very,very rich.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Toby Jermain
Houston, TX
I WAS retired oilfield trash since 1999, who has lived in Houston TX for the last 25 years, though I'm originally from California. I'm Texan by choice, not by chance! I am now working in Algeria 6 months a year, so I guess that gives new meaning to the term SEMI-retired. I grew up in restaurants and worked in them for 13 years while getting through high school and college, working as everything from dishwasher to chef, including just about everything in between. At odd intervals I also waited tables and tended bar, which gave me lots of incentive to stay in school and get my engineering degree.
During the 33 years since, I have only cooked for pleasure, and it HAS given me a great deal of pleasure. It's been my passion. I love to cook, actually more than I love to eat. I read cookbooks like most people read novels.
My wife and I both enjoy cooking, though she isn't quite as adventurous as I am. I keep pushing her in that direction, and she's slowly getting there.
We rarely go out to eat, because there are very few restaurants that can serve food as good as we can make at home. When we do go out, it's normally because we are having an emergency junk-food attack.
My pet food peeves are (I won't get into other areas): are people who post recipes that they have obviously NEVER fixed; obvious because the recipe can't be made because of bad instructions, or that are obvious because it tastes horrible. I also detest people who don't indicate that a recipe is untried, even when it is a good recipe. Caveat emptor!
