Don’t you just love when a serving of vegetables tastes like a double chocolate cake?
Not only do I love eating this cake, I love making it. I’ve made it many times for senior living locations and always share that the original recipe was recommended by my grandmother who found it in her church cookbook.
This cake is just as easy as the zucchini bread. Remember the extra shredded zucchini frozen in two cup portions? Pull one out and allow it to thaw, or grate two cups fresh. Once frozen, the zucchini will lose it’s liquid and reduce to 1 1/2 cups. Set the zucchini aside until the very end.
This cake is mixed with a traditional creaming method but uses oil in addition to softened butter. The oil helps it stay soft and moist for a few days. The creamed mixture will look similar to butter and sugar but will not be as yellow.
Continue mixing the batter in the usual way, adding the eggs one at a time, and alternating the dry ingredients with the buttermilk. Fold in the zucchini at the end. If you are using fresh zucchini fold in the full two cups. If you are using frozen (now thawed) and there is an excess of liquid, you can hold some back. Add the liquid to the desired batter consistency.
The batter will be mousse like, not too thick and not thin enough to pour. I decided to bake a round cake so I would have extra batter for cupcakes.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. For cupcakes, I press the chips into the batter slightly.
I prefer to spray my cupcake pans instead of using liners. Perfect for sharing!
Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 cup Butter, soft
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
2 Eggs
1 3/4 cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 cups Zucchini, grated
1/2 cup Chocolate chips
1/2 cup Walnuts or pecans, optional
Cream together butter, oil & sugar.
Add eggs one at a time and mix well.
Mix in vanilla.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon.
Alternate dry & buttermilk into creamed mixture.
Fold in grated zucchini.
Chop nuts if using.
Pour into sprayed cake pan.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips & nuts.
Bake at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes.
When cake is done it will pull away from the sides and spring back in the center.
Allow cake to cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Vegetables a la mode!
