Still Summer Zucchini Cake

                                                                    


OK, so it is the end of summer and the kids are going back to school and the hurricane weather is in full force and the garden is looking sickly while the fall mums at the garden store are looking really fine.
You still have mounds of zucchini to remind you that summer is still here and very green. I  am not a big zucchini fan, I will admit, but I love this cake recipe for the very fact that it tastes like chocolate cake and NOT zucchini. It has a little spice to it to elevate it from a typical chocolate cake and it goes with just about every flavor of ice cream. I know...I have done the experiments.
Baking in a fluted Bundt pan gives the cake a beautiful look without having to do anything more that dust it with confectioners sugar. Find your favorite accompaniment ( mine is a hot cup of coffee splashed with whipped cream) and enjoy still slightly warm from the oven or room temperature.

Zucchini Cake


6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup half and half,room temperature
1 3/4 cups zucchini, unpeeled and shredded
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Prepare a 10-cup Bundt pan by spraying the pan with a baking release spray such as Pam.         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

1.Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for about five minutes. The mixture will not look smooth at this point but do not worry.

2.Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined.

3.Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between.

4.Add the vanilla extract.

5.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with the half and half. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

6.Pour mixture in to prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes.

7.Remove the cake  from the oven to a cooling grid. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes and then turn out of pan onto cooling grid. Cool to room temperature. Dust top with sifted confectioners sugar or a chocolate glaze. I have nasturtiums from the garden on occasion and these make lovely edible decorations.

*Note: Not sure if you have a 10-cup Bundt pan? Use water in a measuring cup to fill the pan and see how many cups you get. This will give you a good idea how many cups your pan will hold.