May 12, 2010

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

cake, chocolate, nuts, zucchini

Presented by

33 ratings

Prep time: 10 minutes
baking time 55 minutes
Servings: 12

Only Grandma knew that zucchini was the secret to this cake’s moist texture.

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 13 × 9-inch baking pan.
2

Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl with electric mixer set at medium speed until well blended.
3

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
4

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in zucchini until blended.
5

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips.
6

Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes; cool on wire rack. Cut cake into squares.

Grandma's Secret Trick

Like many vegetable gardens, Grandma's was overrun with end-of-season zucchini. When no one could eat another mouthful of steamed, stir-fried or baked zucchini, the shredder came out. Grandma shredded green mountains of zucchini and used it in muffins, quick loaves and her favorite carrot cake recipe, substituting an equal amount of shredded zucchini for the shredded carrots.