Chocolate Zucchini Cake (King Arthur Flour)

By sandiB2010

Who doesn’t love deep-dark chocolate cake with rich fudge frosting? The zucchini, while indiscernible in the cake, lends it wonderful moisture and enhances its keeping quality.

Ingredients

• Icing:
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Baking Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional but tasty
• 3 cups shredded zucchini (about one 10" zucchini)*
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• Why the range in weights? Zucchini's weight varies a lot, depending on its moisture. To avoid having to make a decision about weight, consider measuring zucchini by volume.
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation

Step 1

1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.

2) In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until smooth.

3) Beat in the eggs.

4) Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt alternately with the flour.

5) Add the cocoa and espresso powder, mixing until smooth.

6) Fold in the zucchini and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

7) Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top springs back lightly when touched, and it seems set.

8) To ice the cake: Slide the cake out of the oven, sprinkle it evenly with the 1 cup chocolate chips, and return it to the oven for 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

9) Remove the cake from the oven, and use a cake spatula or rubber spatula to spread the chocolate chips into a smooth glaze. Cool on a rack.