Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Sometimes, I get one of these crazy ideas that I can actually make a healthy cake that tastes good. We were pretty impressed by how this one turned out, so I thought I’d share it with you.

Zucchini… it’s one of the few vegetables that all Oklahoma bugs seem to detest. Seriously. They don’t even look at it. For that reason, and for that reason alone, some Oklahomans plant zucchini and get loads of it in return. It really is an amazing plant! By the middle of summer, we usually have it coming out our ears and some people start to whimper – including me. How many ways can one fix zucchini without their family knowing they’re eating zucchini? After all, over half my family sides with the bugs on this “green thing”.

Well, over the years I’ve come up with a few ways to disguise unliked vegetables and zucchini has actually become my best friend in this department. You wouldn’t believe how many recipes you can slide a couple cups of shredded zucchini in – and no one notices! …Or at least they are polite enough to pretend not to. :D

This cake is packed with nourishing vitamins, fiber and even omega-3s. I used frozen zucchini in it, but I’m sure fresh would do as well. If you’re worried about “zucchini strands”, just blend it in the food processor.

So, let’s…

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

3/4 c. butter

1 c. raw honey

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 c. cocoa powder

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 c. ground flax seeds

1 c. buttermilk, yogurt, or curdled milk

Cream together the
butter,

honey, 

          .and vanilla.

Add the eggs and shredded zucchini.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.

Alternating dry ingredients with buttermilk, blend into butter mixture.

Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

   Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, cream together the icing…

1/2 c. butter

1 c. honey

1 c. cocoa powder

2 t. vanilla

4 c. whipping cream

This is more like a mousse than an icing and we’re super generous with it. If you like you can half the recipe. Or leave out part of the cream for a richer flavor. (That’s what I did here, since we ran out of cream – used 1 and 1/2 cups to be exact.)

Enjoy!

Advertisement