Chocolate Zucchini Cake from Christine

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is one of Christine's "go to" recipes this time of year when zucchinis are abundant.  She made this sunflower-shaped cake (and cupcakes) for us while she was visiting us at the lake.

No one will notice it has zucchini in it, but they will enjoy the cinnamon and chocolate chips.

The recipe originally came from one of my co-workers, Carolyn McKay.

And the sunflower cake pan is made by Nordic Ware.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

(from Carolyn McKay)

Serves 12 (or more)

3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
3 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
confectioner's sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder.  Alternatively, spray with Baking Pam.  In this case, she made a sunflower shaped cake pan, and 12 cupcakes (with paper muffin cups).

Grate 3 cups of zucchini --- which was about 1.5 medium zucchini.  Leave the skins on.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In a separate bowl, combine the oil and granulated sugar, and then beat in the eggs one at a time.  A third at a time, beat in the dry mixture until well blended.  Beat in vanilla and stir in the zucchini.  And chocolate chips, if using.

Transfer to baking pan(s)

and bake about 1 hour for a Bundt pan, 40 minutes for the sunflower cake pan, and 22-25 minutes for the cupcakes --- or until a tester comes out clean.

Best to underbake than to overbake.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Then dust with confectioner's sugar.  (Cover and refrigerate if taking to a party later.)  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  (Sometimes Christine drizzles it with a chocolate glaze instead.)

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