Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Got Zucchini??

In the Northeast growing season now is the time to harvest the abundance of Zucchini in our gardens.

Here in Upstate New York we are always looking for new recipes to use this versatile squash.

I thought I had shared the recipe for this light and airy summer chocolate cake, but when I searched my blog, I guess I didn't. I did share a recipe for Zucchini Bread, which is equally delicious.

I found this recipe in my all time favorite recipe book Applehood and Motherpie. It was published in the 1980's by The Junior League of Rochester, New York.

I have not made one bad recipe out of it yet. As a matter of fact, all of the recipes I've made are phenomenal.

Really.

I actually have a copy of it and it's companion For Goodness Taste available to purchase in my Etsy shop here.

Edit 8/22 - These are sold! A sweet blogger friend couldn't resist and bought them!

You can see how airy and moist this cake is....

 and the cinnamon is an unexpected delicious addition....

Add some chocolate glaze or frosting and it is a great summer dessert. Hey, chocolate is a great dessert any time but this feels summery because of the zucchini :-)

So on to the recipe, which is pretty easy too....

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 cups sugar

¾ cup oil

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup cocoa

2 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup milk

In large bowl beat sugar, oil, and eggs. Add vanilla and zucchini.

Mix dry ingredients together. Add alternately with milk to zucchini mixture. Blend well.

Pour into a 10 inch tube or Bundt pan. Bake. Allow to stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Temp: 350

Time: 50 to 60 minutes

For the chocolate glaze I used my favorite go-to recipe. 

It makes a lot so I halved it. For chocolate frosting

you have to play around a little, substituting 

cocoa powder for some of the confectioner's sugar.

All Purpose Frosting/Glaze

2 2/3 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon flavoring (almond, lemon, vanilla) OPTIONAL

Hot water

Combine all ingredients except water. Slowly add a little hot water 

till frosting is smooth. 

If you find yourself with an abundance of Zucchini at the end of the summer, I hope you try this chocolate cake. 

AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these fun blog parties:

Cooking & Crafting with J & J
Talk of the Town
Tuesdays with a Twist
Share Your Cup
No Rules Weekend Blog Party
Full Plate Thursday
Home Sweet Home
Anything Goes Pink Saturday

Got Zucchini.....Still? Make This Bread!

I had forgotton how fabulous this Zucchini Bread recipe is until I had a lot of zucchini to use up! The orange and coconut in it is what makes it irresistable. It is a very easy recipe also.

I hadn't had a lot of zucchini over the summer and the season for them is pretty much over here in the Northeast. When I saw some really nice ones at a roadside stand I couldn't resist buying 3 of them for 25 cents each. I decided to have a zucchini bread baking marathon. This recipe makes two nice sized loaves, so I set out my two mixing bowls to make two recipes at once.

The Junior League of Rochester, NY put out a cookbook in 1991 called For Goodness Taste. Every recipe in it is fabulous and this one is called.....

 



 Taster's Choice Zucchini Bread

 

 

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

3 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 cups shredded, fresh zucchini (1 1/2 lbs.)

1 medium orange, ground with the peel

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

 

Mix sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in all other ingredients.

  



Grease and flour pans (either 2 large or 3 small). Pour dough into pans.

Bake at 325 degrees 40-45 minutes for small pans, 75 minutes for large pans. I baked these about 75 minutes, but checked them at 60 minutes.

 

So good! Even the raw dough is SO good to lick off the spoon! Enjoy!!

 

 

 

It is Tuesday and I just finished off the zucchini I used for the bread to make a cake, so I had to come back, edit, and include the recipe. It is UNBELIEVABLY good. The ingredient that makes this cake irresistable is the cinnamon. It is from the sister cookbook from the Junior League of Rochester, called Applehood and Mother Pie and is simply called....

 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

 

 

 

 

 It literally just came out of the pan to cool. I usually put a chocolate glaze over it but the recipe does not call for any frosting....it is that good by itself!



 



 2 cups sugar

3/4 cup oil

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

 

In a large bowl beat sugar, oil and eggs. Add vanilla and zucchini. Mix dry ingredients together. Add alternately with milk to zucchini mixture. Blend well. Pour into a 10 inch tube or Bundt pan.

 

Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes then remove from pan.

 

 

 

These two recipes have been staples for me every year at zucchini time. You should see how messy my cookbook pages are that the recipe is on!!

 

Enjoy!

 

AnnMarie :)