Favorite Recipes For Our Friends

This recipe comes from my favorite cookbook that my grandmother gave to me several years ago titled Favorite Recipes For Our Friends. It was published in 1975 by The First National Bank in the town where I grew up. My grandmother taught me how to cook and encouraged me to get in the kitchen and make things. My favorite recipe from this book is Chocolate Nut Zucchini Bundt Cake because it's such a simple chocolate cake and it has veggies in it, so it's healthy right? Here it is with a few adaptations. It is so moist and delicious, I think I'm going to go have another piece :)

Chocolate Nut Zucchini Bundt Cake

2/3 c. cocoa

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 c. vegetable oil

3 c. flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

3 c. sugar (plus more for coating pan)

3 c. grated zucchini (4 med. zucchini)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

• In a small mixing bowl combine cocoa and melted butter (mixture will be stiff and dry). Add vegetable oil to cocoa (it will resemble motor oil- don't be alarmed) and set aside.

• In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

• In a large mixing bowl beat eggs and slowly add sugar, until thick and light in color. Add cocoa mixture to eggs until well combined, then gradually add flour being careful not to over mix. Once mixture is well incorporated add grated zucchini, vanilla and nuts (if desired). I prefer it without nuts.

• Spray bundt pan evenly with non stick spray, then sprinkle with granulated sugar to form a sugar crust. Pour batter into pan about 3/4 full. A small amount of batter will be leftover. I usually pour the extra batter into a small pyrex dish, bake it and eat it while the bundt is still in the oven. Place pan in a preheated 350 degree oven for 65-70 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Note: the cake baked in a pyrex dish will cook much quicker than the bundt.

• Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. Loosen your belt, because you'll be eating more than one slice.

By the way, I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa. I was afraid it would be too chocolatey (like there is such a thing) but it actually turned out better. Give it a try!