Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Zucchini (Courgette)

By Cat, Nov 2007 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Wheat (about); 2. Other True Grains (about) (includes Spelt); 3. Bread & Rolls Menu; 4. Zucchini Bread, with Nuts & Curry Spices; 5. Zucchini Bread, with Nuts & Raisins or Cranberries

This recipe is adapted from one provided by my friend, Gay L.; a great way to use up that bounty of summer squash.  You can use any variety of summer squash, but green zucchini is the most abundant variety. Note that some commercial zucchini/summer squash is GMO, so to be on the safe size, buy Organic.

To get the health benefits provided by chocolate, be sure to use “dark” chocolate chips or chop up a “dark” chocolate bar (with a high cocoa mass), not sweet or semisweet chips. Alternately, you can use carob chips; carob doesn’t provide the same health benefit as dark chocolate, but it has an entire list of its own benefits.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Swiss DArk Chocolate

(Photo, left, of Swiss Dark Chocolate by Simon A. Eugster, from Wikipedia)

Refer to my articles Wheat (about) and Other True Grains (about) (includes Spelt, Kamut, Barley, Oat, Rye flours) for more info on flour options.

I’m not big on using instant coffee but I’ve not tested a version using brewed coffee, but it does help to take up the liquid from the zucchini.

Equipment

• small and large bowl
• 3 quart springform pan
• stand mixer or wooden spoon
• rack for cooling.

Ingredients for cake batter:

• 1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup unbleached white flour *
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder (aluminum free)
• ½ tsp Unrefined sea salt
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup Rapadura sugar (or ½ tsp stevia extract powder plus 2 Tbsp Rapadura sugar)
• 1 tsp real vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups zucchini; unpeeled and grated
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (high cocoa mass), or chopped dark chocolate

* NOTE:  If you wish to include coconut flour for the extra fiber (to slow down sugar absorption), use no more than ¼ cup, and then decrease the white flour to ¼ cup and add ¼ cup water or milk (coconut flour is very dry and needs the added moisture. See Gluten-Free Flour (about) for more about coconut flour).

Method for Cake batter:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.  Butter and flour a 3 quart spring form pan.  Or use cocoa powder instead of flour.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together (including steiva, if using) in small bowl.
3. Combine butter and sugar, and mix until fluffy.  Add in vanilla, coffee granules and water or milk.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Spoon in flour mixture a bit at a time, and fold into batter, but reserve 1/2 cup of the flour mixture.
5. Add grated zucchini and chocolate chips to reserved ½ cup flour, then fold into batter, blending thoroughly.
6. Pour into prepared pan, and feather surface with spatula.
7. Prepare topping, sprinkle over top and bake (instructions below)

Ingredients & Method for topping:

• ¼ cup Rapadura sugar
• ½ cup hazelnuts, chopped (preferably soaked and dried)

1. Prepare topping:  Mix sugar and nuts together and sprinkle over batter.
2. Bake cake in preheated oven 40 – 50 minutes, until cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into center comes out clean.
3. Remove pan from oven and set on rack to cool.  Unmold when thoroughly cooled.

Assembly or Serving Suggestions

• Serve as is, or with a bit of dark chocolate sauce
• Serve with vanilla ice cream

Testing

not yet tested by me