Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

Forever ago, my friend Dana (author of Old Red Barn Co.) emailed me and asked if I'd ever had chocolate zucchini bread before.  I totally don't remember the context of the question anymore (do you Dana?), but I responded that no, I hadn't, that I'd only ever had/made regular zucchini bread before and to send me a recipe STAT!  She pointed me in the direction of the recipe she always uses and then I got busy and I never got around to making it.  The thought of chocolate zucchini bread has been nagging at me ever since, and despite my efforts to push those thoughts away (yeah right!), I just can't.  So about a week ago when I had extra zucchini from the farmer's market I knew it was time. 

I went and found the recipe, printed it out and then sat down to plan.  I seem to be incapable of leaving a recipe "as is" and so as I read through the recipe my mind started to work overtime and that's when I decided I would make a cake instead.

The thing I LOVE about adding carrots/zucchini is how moist baked items turn out.  This cake is no exception.  It is rich and moist and plenty chocolaty.

Plus, you can tell yourself that it's a vegetable dish when you go to have seconds.



We ate ours with ice cream, but I also enjoyed a piece with some chocolate ganache one afternoon.  Either way, it's time to eat your veggies!

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Makes 1 standard size bundt cake



6 Tbsp. cocoa

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups grated zucchini, packed

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease bundt pan.



2. In a large bowl, combine cocoa, butter, and sugar.  Add eggs, oil, grated zucchini, and vanilla; beat well.  Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.



3. Place chocolate chips in sifter and toss with a bit of flour (sifting off the excess) (this is to help your chocolate chips from all sinking to the bottom of the cake batter once your cake is in the oven).

4. Fold in the chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.

5. Bake in preheated oven for about 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean.



6. Let cool for several minutes, then unmold cake onto cake plate to finish cooling.



** Have you taken the pop quiz yet? It's not too late! Comments will be open until tomorrow (Thursday, September 10, 2009) at 10pm PST.  I'll announce the winners and the answers on Friday!