Monday, September 13, 2010

Summer Is Still Here

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I know I sure did. Saturday I treated my mom to breakfast at The Original Pancake House (she loves their Dutch Baby pancakes), then we went and got pedicures (and a brow wax for me), had Starbucks and did a little shopping. While at Starbucks I enjoyed a Pumpkin Spice Latte- yum! I wait all year for those. That's the closest I've gotten so far to Fall flavors this year but I can't bring myself to start baking with pumpkin just yet. Believe me I want to, but it's still SUMMER!

It's still Summer and I'm still drinking limeade and eating grilled meats and hot dogs. It's still in the mid-90's here (high 80's when we're experiencing a "cold" front- ha!) and I'm still enjoying baking with zucchini- a summer favorite. I know a lot of you make jokes about having a surplus of the green veggie growing by the ton in your garden, but I can barely keep my indoor plants watered, so I don't have that problem. I happily buy my zucchini at the grocery store 4 at a time and I used 2 of them in this delicious cake. There's nothing like eating your veggies with a little chocolate :-).

I found this cake at The Cutting Edge Of Ordinary- Lisa has a beautiful blog (go check her out). I was intrigued by it because Chocolate Zucchini cake is one of my absolute favorites. I have a tried and true recipe that I usually bake it into a Bundt pan that my mom requests quite often but I liked this one because it's baked into a 9x13-inch pan and topped with chocolate chips that add a subtle sweetness. It's a great snack cake, simple to throw together and stays moist for days. If you've never tried zucchini cake before, don't be afraid- it adds moisture the way carrots do in carrot cake, but you can't taste it. Promise. It's also a good way to get some veggies into your kids (or you). Relish in the last few days of summer and make this cake!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake from Bon Appetit via The Cutting Edge Of Ordinary

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  • 2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 medium)
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda & salt into a medium bowl.

Beat the sugar, butter and oil in a large bowl until well blended. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.

Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Mix in grated zucchini.

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts (if using).

Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan.

Would you like a piece?

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30 comments:

Esther said...

This recipe sounds great! It has all the ingredients that I have other than the zucchini. I think I'll try making it in a 8 by 8 pan w/ half of the recipe. thanks for sharing. :)

Katie said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful day with your mum. The cake looks delicious and very moist. I have a few courgettes left so will have to give this a go

From the Kitchen said...

Yes, please--I'll have a piece and a pumpkin spice latte. I do love the lattes and am sure I'd love the cake as well.

Sorry that you are still in the heat. It's much cooler here. Time to get out the fall decorations.

Best,
Bonnie

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

Yeah I'm so glad you made this cake. We just love it at our house. It's very portable too, I pack it in the kids lunches.

Thanks again for sharing it with others!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Georgia, a "cold-front" would be mid-80s too. :)
This recipe sounds wonderful, and I look forward to fixing it!

Keeley said...

I don't want summer to end! We're only topping out in the 70s these days, the humidity is low, and it gets into the 50s at night. I enjoy the better hair days, but I'm already missing my garden and I refuse to stop grilling!

Joy Tilton said...

I too have a loaf recipe that I love, but I have a feeling this one would beat the sock off it!

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

Thank you, thank you for echoing my heart's cry that summer is still here. I WILL NOT decorate for fall or consider pumpkin cooking myself until that fateful day arrives on Sept 21st. No matter that NS is having much cooler weather, I'm still wearing my sandals and whites!

And thanks for the delish chocolate zucchini cake recipe.

Cassie said...

Yes, I certainly would like a piece! I still have all the shredded zucchini I froze in the middle of summer, so I'll be pulling this one out in the depths of winter when I need a fix. YUM!

vanillasugarblog said...

i wish summer was still here. it's 65 outside and barely sunny. we rarely get sun! can't wait to move back to california.
i would love 2 slices please, since you're offering.

oneordinaryday said...

I love chocolate and zucchini together. My favorite zucchini bread is one that is full of chocolate flavor. Your cake looks delish.

Am said...

Have you heard there is a pumpkin shortage this year? A friend of mine looked at 4 stores for canned pumpkin pie mix but couldn't find it. I started looking also and haven't found any! I'm not sure about the actual pumpkins. Have you heard anything?

Abby said...

I had one of those yummy lattes just today. Couldn't help myself! Still hot here, too, but much less humid. (You probably don't get much of a break from that part, do you?)

Lovely, simple cake. Perfect for an afternoon snack ... alongside a latte!

Debbie said...

Looks delicious! My husband made one of these recently and I'm now addicted to these cakes!!! They really are very chocolately and sooooo moist.

Unknown said...

What a great way to get your veggies in! I will definitely have to try this out!

Foodiewife said...

I'm still singing "it's summer" with you, Sister! I saw this cake on Lisa's blog and bookmarked it.
Lovely, lovely, lovely. You made ordinary zucchini cake look so pretty! How I wish my own mother was alive to see her daughter blogging, so shop with and just hang out with. You are lucky to have her to enjoy. xoxo

Sue said...

My mother-in-law used to always make chocolate-zuch. things. I never have any, so I just make chocolate instead. I was always surprised at how you couldn't taste the zucchini, but the cake was so moist.

Souffle Bombay said...

Glad you are feeling better!
I have never had zucchini bread or cake - lookt great!
I am soooo not ready to let summer go myself!

Lorraine said...

I definitely would love a piece of this. I have never had a chocolate cake with zucchini in it, but I can't imagine I would anything but love it. It looks amazing:)

Lorraine said...

I definitely would love a piece of this. I have never had a chocolate cake with zucchini in it, but I can't imagine I would anything but love it. It looks amazing:)

cookies and cups said...

That cake looks perfect! I still have some zucchini! YAY ~ chocolate cake for me!!

Sherry G said...

The Original Pancake House is absolutely amazing! I happen to have two locations of it near me. I was so addicted when the first one opened that I used to go once a week haha.

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

Oh yes, I would love a piece of this cake, Monica! I'm sure that the zucchini really moistens the cake up 'a notch! You aren't kidding it's still hot; phew it's sorta getting old! I hate cold weather, but gosh, I can handle fall right now! Please stop by my blog tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 16th . . . I made one of your recipes and would like you to see the results. WE LOVE IT!

SnoWhite said...

I grew up eating this cake -- my grandma and mom made it all summer long! LOVE it.

Ingrid_3Bs said...

MY comment didn't go through...I typed all that and then the blogger boots me, Grrr.

Well it was nothing inspired except for a sly request to get a slice of your zucchini bundt cake which I remember, despite being chocolate, looked good and I want to try zucchini in cake form. :)
~ingrid

kelly said...

yes please!! looks awesome. i love chocolate chip zuchinni bread too!
we live in hawaii and these are our hottest months so i know what you mean about getting into fall food yet!

Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer said...

This looks so moist and yummo. I like that it uses buttermilk. I just started adding pumpkin spice to my morning coffee pot too :) and bought mums today, sighhhh. I love fall but here in MN it only means winter is coming!

Allie said...

This for sure counts as a serving of vegetables right!?! I mean there are 2 zuchinis in there ;) I will definitely have to try this cake. It looks wonderful! Also, I love love love The Original Pancake House!!!

Nicole said...

I just made this! It was amazing!!! <3 The hardest part was waiting til it was cool!! We didn't quite make it.:)

Allie said...

Okay, I just made it and it is so so good! I had to hurry and deliver it to the neighbors before I ate the whole pan!

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