Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Those of you with a garden know that one zucchini plant can produce so much that it challenges you to find ways to use them.  There are many delicious and nutritious way to serve zucchini; I recommend cooking it in chocolate cake! It is easy to eat zucchini sauteed with onions and garlic in spring, but by the end of the summer we, and all of our neighbors, are sick of zucchini.  To maintain interest in zucchini dishes, my daughter created this chocolate zucchini cake recipe in an attempt to disguise late summer zucchini.   Below the cake recipe I offer you a couple of frosting recipes.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or use gluten-free cake flour)
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups zucchini, shredded

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, oil, and sugar until smooth.
3. Add eggs, beating well after each egg.
4. Add vanilla.
5. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk until completely mixed in.
6. Fold in zucchini.
7. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 325 for 45 – 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool on a wire rack.

Note: You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 Tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then use as you would use real buttermilk.

Coconut Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

1. While the cake is cooling, beat together the butter, sugar and milk until light and fluffy.
2. Fold in walnuts and coconut.
3. Spread over the cake while it is still warm.
4. Place in oven 4 – 6 inches from broiler and broil for 2 – 3 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Cool completely.

For those who cannot get enough chocolate:

Mocha Fudge Frosting Recipe

Ingredient:

• 6 Tablespoons coffee
• 6 Tablespoon butter, softened
• 6 Tablespoon cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Combine coffee, butter, cocoa, and vanilla; mix well.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar; beat on med. sped until well mixed.
3. If the frosting is too thick you can add a little coffee or milk, if too thin add more sugar.
4. Spread over a COOL cake.
5. A couple of notes:

More Unconventional Zucchini Recipes

Chai-Spiced Zucchini Muffins

Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

Broiled Zucchini Pizza Bites