This is the one, it's the winner - and I'm not even a cake person. It's a great way to use up all that zucchini, it is moist and the frosting is so yummy. Perfect with a scoop of ice cream, a glass of milk, or on its own. (Can you see my little munchkin's fingers just waiting to pounce?)
Zucchini Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce
3 cups peeled, grated zucchini
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan or two 9 inch layer pans.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs, applesauce, and oil; mix well. Fold in the zucchini until it is evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.
Good thing the cake is pretty healthy, because the frosting more than makes up for it.
Chocolate Frosting (I think it might be The Barefoot Contessa's)
1 c. cream
2 tbsp corn syrup
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
20 oz. milk or bittersweet choc or a combo (I did a combo of semi and milk chocolate)
1-2 c. powdered sugar
2 sticks butter, cut into one tbsp pieces
Heat cream with corn syrup and salt on stove until simmering. Meanwhile, chop chocolate in food processor. With processor running add simmering cream slowly and process for one minute, until chocolate is melted. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and process again. Then, with processor running, add butter one piece at a time, waiting until the piece is incorporated before adding another. Cool until thick and spreadable. For a lighter, more buttercream-frosting, beat with an electric mixer before spreading.
This recipe is wonderful, but I did end up overheating my blender so you might want to use chocolate chips and a mixer instead. Pop on over to Rocks in my Dryer to see more Works for me Wednesday.
