Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Every gardener who grows zucchini must come to terms with the dilemma of what to do with all those extra zucchinis. This vegetable's ability to produce is mythic! Now you can choose to leave your extra zucchini on your neighbor's porch or as an alternative make this decadent chocolate cake. The zucchini takes on the flavor of the chocolate and makes the consistency of the cake extra moist. There are about as many zucchini cake recipes as there are left over zucchinis. This is a combination of several tried and true recipes and an updated version that I found on a website appropriately named Chocolate and Zucchini. What I liked most about the updated version is the hazelnut topping. As the author of the site says, these two ingredients "make a very happy couple."
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 4 tbsp. cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. instant coffee
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups zucchini, grated
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped, toasted
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch springform cake pan or a 9 x 13 sheet cake pan.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, instant coffee and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
In large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer or hand beater, blend the butter, oil and sugar.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated.
Add the vanilla and give it a good stir.
Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then fold in the grated zucchini.
Working in alternating amounts stir the remaining dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the batter.
Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out with the top.
In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, chocolate chips and hazelnuts.
Sprinkle this over the top of the batter.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the cake pan.
Notes
Time to prepare: 1 hour, 10 minutes.
Serves 10.
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