Cake Slice Rebellion :-)

I know I promised you all some baby shower dessert recipes, but I forgot that it was the 20th and it's time for me to post this month's Cake Slice Cake. I assure you that I will share a new recipe by this weekend- scouts honor. Every month, the Cake Slice Bakers, bake a different cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman and this month the cake of choice was Zebra Cake. If you've never seen a Zebra cake it's a cocoa and vanilla cake that you alternate batters with, creating circles of dark and light batter. Once baked and cut into, it looks like zebra stripes. Pretty yes, but very plain tasting and not totally worth the effort, in my opinion. Because of this, I chose to rebel against the Zebra cake and bake the cake that was runner up in the voting- Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Here's the Zebra cake I made last year but wasn't impressed with, so I never shared it.

My baking buddy, Maranda from Jolts & Jollies, made the Zebra cake said it didn't turn out so well and tasted a wee bit like cardboard. So we both decided to not waste any more time or ingredients on it and make something else we'd both enjoy. So she's my rebel companion in baking :-) Please go HERE to see how her cake turned out!

Anyway, on to the chocolate zucchini bundt cake- I absolutely adore it. There's never been a CZ cake that I didn't like. In fact, the very first recipe that I ever shared on this blog was chocolate zucchini cake and my mother requests it every year for her birthday. I've made a few different versions including a sheet cake, but THIS ONE is my favorite. I liked this version but felt is was just like a really moist, tender and richly chocolate cake. The main difference between my favorite and this one is that this one has sour cream, espresso powder and chocolate chips in it. My favorite version is a little simpler, is made with oil, cocoa and the zucchini shines through a little more. It's more like a quick bread than a cake, yet it's baked in a Bundt.

Really you can't go wrong with any of these. Just close your eyes, pick one, bake it and eat it all up!

1. Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
2. Chocolate Chip Zucchini Snack Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes

Printer Friendly Version

• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (plus more for dusting the pan)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cups sliced almonds, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder or spray liberally with Bakers Joy nonstick spray.

Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat alternating flour and sour cream mixtures and end with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary between additions.

Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. (Mine took 65 minutes to bake). Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Store the uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.