It's All About the Baking!: Zucocoa Cake

Cooling

Recently, in clearing out the fridge while preparing to leave on a short vacation, I had two, lonely zucchini that had not made it onto a dinner menu. Since I was having several friends for a quick dinner gathering, I thought Zucocoa cake would be the perfect dessert.

This recipe began as a sheet-cake recipe from a friend who described it as an old, hippie recipe. I changed the ratio of flour and cocoa to make it a true cocoa cake. You could add chopped nuts or even chopped, dried cherries, but I prefer it just the way it is.

For this gathering I glazed the cake with dark-chocolate ganache. It's such a delicious way to top off a cake, though this cake is perfectly fine plain, and even makes a better breakfast pastry without the glaze.

If you're sharing with someone who is averse to vegetables, peel the zucchini first to remove any evidence green and shred it so the vegetable melts into the cake.

Though I have not done it, I think this recipe would work in two medium loaf pans or a 9x13 sheet pan. Adjust baking time if using a sheet pan; it will take a few minutes longer to completely bake in the center.

UPDATE! I'm including photos of shredded zucchini because it's easier to shred than to chop finely into uniform pieces. That's about all the updating, Enjoy!

Notes*

Grease and flour (I use cocoa instead of flour) a Bundt pan. Set aside.

Greased pan, floured with cocoa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sift together:
2 1/4 cups flour (I used sorghum, use your favorite GF flour or flour blend)
1/2 c cocoa
1 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum or 1 TB psyllium seed husk powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Finely chopped zucchini

Process and reserve 2 cup finely chopped zucchini or 1 3/4 cup shredded zucchini, (blotted with a towel if you've shredded it ) to remove some moisture.*

Cream together without over beating:
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp
1/2 cup shortening (I use Spectrum organic; 96 grams equals 1/2 cup if you have a scale)
1 3/4 cups sugar
Add and mix thoroughly:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup soured, whole milk,* buttermilk, or yogurt thinned with milk or water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix or stir the dry ingredients into the butter/egg/milk mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl two or three times.

Stir the chopped or shredded zucchini into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (checking at 50 minutes) depending on your oven.

Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.
Cool completely before serving.

Glaze, from Epicurious:
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup corn syrup, preferably dark
9 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the whipping cream and corn syrup to a simmer but not a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and whisk until combined. Glazing works best if you can chill the cake thoroughly first. Not everyone can make room in their fridge, but the glaze won't slide off the cake if it's cold. If there's no room in the fridge, scoop up the glaze with each slice and enjoy!

*Shredding the zucchini will give you a more moist, denser cake.
*To make sour milk put 2 tsp vinegar (white or cider) into a measuring cup and fill to half cup with whole milk. Let sit for a few minutes.
*The Kitchen offers a great tutorial for ganache. For a quick glaze, chop 3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and put in a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup cream (I got away with half and half, all I had at the time) till it just begins to simmer. Pour over chopped chocolate, let it stand till chocolate is soft, and stir or whisk to blend. To make it thinner, add warm cream a little at a time. Drizzle over completely cooled cake.