The Great Zucchini Challenge

If you followed the blog last summer, you may remember my Great Rhubarb Challenge, a self-imposed task of baking exclusively with rhubarb. I made it for a good two months! Well, this year I've decided to do the same with zucchini, which is equally, if not more abundant than our rhubarb supply. (And that's saying something!) The nifty thing about zucchini is that it can be used in both sweet and savory applications, so I have a wider scope of possibilities here.

In today's post, I'm going to share the very best chocolate zucchini cake of all time. Mom clipped this recipe out of a newpaper back in 1995, and it has been our default choice ever since. A big thank you to Esther Edlund, a local woman who submitted her recipes to the paper all those years ago.

A simple chocolate cake, dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

• 2 1/2 C. flour

• 1/2 C. cocoa

• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

• 3/4 C. butter

• 2 C. sugar

• 3 eggs

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 C. grated zucchini

• 1/2 C. milk

• 1 C. nuts (optional)

Cream together butter and sugar. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients. Mix until combined, folding in the zucchini last.

Here's where you get to have fun. You can use pretty much whatever pan you want. 9" cake rounds, loaf tins, cupcake trays or any combination of the above. I made one 9" cake layer and a dozen cupcakes with one batch, to give you an idea of the total volume. :)

Oh and bake at 350°F for approximately an hour, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Less time for cupcakes, as you might guess.)

Do you have a plethora of zucchini? How do you use it up? I'd love to hear!

Thank you for stopping by,

Eva