Solution #10: Rich Chocolate Zucchini Cake

*In 2012 we started the zucchini project. This project aims to find different recipes and methods for cooking zucchini—one of the most over abundant crop in home gardens.*

I’m going to be honest. I’ve never made a chocolate cake from scratch. Cake baking is something that just plain intimidates me. …and with box cakes that sit so perfectly on the shelves in the stores with 1-2-3 instructions and step baking process, I haven’t had any reason to give it a try. I’ve made muffins, quick breads, and this chocolate chip zucchini cake…but never chocolate cake from scratch.

People…I’m not going back. I didn’t even know I liked chocolate cake until now. If it is the last thing you do, make sure to make a cake from scratch at least once in your life! Last summer, Grey and I went to a friends house. We had enchiladas for dinner, and gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake for dessert. I haven’t forgotten that cake, and have been wanting to make my own version of it since…except “gluten-y” 🙂 Even though this is not “gluten-free,” it uses olive oil instead of butter. The glaze is simple: honey, chocolate chips, and more olive oil.

Simple ingredients. Simple to make.

After all of the dry ingredients are combined, you get out your big bowl, and combine the sugar, olive oil, eggs and vanilla, and whisk like crazy until it is smooth and silky. Oooo ahhh.

Then you add the flour-cocoa mixture and stir.

…and stir until it looks like chocolate cake batter.

 

Then you stir in the green (and chocolate chips)! Pretty huh?

After the cake is baked and cooled, it’s time for the good stuff!

Doesn’t this look awful? Chocolate cake and chocolate frosting just sitting NEXT to each other?

No fear! I’m here to save the day. Spread an even layer over the cake, cut into thick slabs and share with friends and family. You won’t regret it.

 

Rich Chocolate Zucchini Cake:

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter, for the pan

1 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for the pan

½ cups plus 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 medium zucchini, grated and squeezed dry

¼ cup honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8 cake pan with the butter on the sides and bottom of the pan. Dust pan with flour, lightly tapping out the excess. Toss ½ cup of the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk the remaining flour, the cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, ½ cup olive oil, the eggs, and vanilla until smooth and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the flour-cocoa mixture and stir until just combined (batter will be thick.) Stir in the zucchini and mix until combined. Fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips with a wooden spoon. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

 To make the glaze:

Combine the remaining chocolate chips, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and honey in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on medium-high power in 30 second intervals, stirring, until the chocolate is melted. Spread over the cake, then cut into pieces.

Hope you have a make-your-own-cake-from-scratch kind of day.

Love, Grey & Brianna

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