I wonder who thought the pairing of chocolate and zucchini in a cake would make a good idea?
It is a rather unusual combination. (My husband claims that foods commonly served as vegetables should not be added to cake!)
I did a little looking around to find out some history behind the invention of chocolate zucchini cake and noticed there are a lot of theories but no one really knows for sure. I like the most logical one; someone had to find a way to use up the most prolific invader of the garden!
Still, why use zucchini as the secret ingredient in a chocolate cake?
From a functional point of view, zucchini has a high water content so the cake is moist. From a nutritional standpoint, zucchini is low in calories, contains anti-oxidants and is a good source of vitamins A, C, and potassium.
From a flavor perspective, well, you can’t taste the zucchini in all that chocolate cake so I’m not sure about any flavor contribution!
| Chocolate Zucchini Cake 1/2 cup butter 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups flour 4 tablespoons cocoa 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup sour milk or add a teaspoon of vinegar fresh milk 1/2 cup oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups grated zucchini Chocolate chips Whipped cream Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 9×13-inch pan. Combine butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and zucchini. Pour into pan. Top with chocolate chips. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan. Serve with whipped cream. |
