Zucchini is a very prolific vegetable and likely you either have tons in the garden or friends readily willing to gift you with these little gems. The East Tennessee farmer’s markets are loaded with zucchini right now and budget stretching bargains are easily found.
If your family has started a revolt against anymore grilled, pickled or just plain cooked zucchini, why not surprise them with a rich, decadent, chocolate cake with a hint of coffee and studded with chocolate chips and buttery cashews. The kids will be none the wiser when they dig into this chocolaty dessert and you will avoid the zucchini walk of shame, of sneaking excess helpless zucchini onto your neighbor’s porch when their kids are not watching.
This cake is made with butter and olive oil which though not usually used in baking, works very well in this recipe. The fruitiness of the olive oil plays very nicely with the buttery flavor of the cashews while bringing out the rich chocolate flavor of the dark cocoa. A hint of coffee simply intensifies the chocolate flavor and will most likely be unnoticed as a flavoring in the finished cake.
Rich Chocolate Zucchini Cake with a Twist
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup olive oil (room temperature)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups flour (all purpose)
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ strong cold black coffee
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped toasted cashews
- 3 cups finely shredded zucchini
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy add olive oil and blend completely
Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each is added.
Mix in Vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients except chocolate chips and cashews.
Combine coffee and buttermilk.
Add flour and buttermilk mixture to creamed mixture alternately starting and ending with the flour mixture.
Gently stir in zucchini, chocolate chips and cashews, making sure to mix well but avoid over mixing as this will make the cake tough.
Pour into three greased and floured 9 inch cake pans or a large square cake pan.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes checking at 20 minutes making sure not to over bake.
Cake is done when toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
Cool cakes in pans for about 10 minutes and then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.
Frost with frosting of your choice (a rich chocolate mocha butter cream frosting is heavenly with this cake).
Or simply dust top of cake with a bit of powdered sugar if baking in a square baking pan.
Cheers!
Elizabeth
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