Chocolate Zucchini Cake

About 2 weeks ago, Steve turned to me and said, "I want to start eating desserts." We'll i'm not gonna be one to argue with a statement like that, so we've been eating delicious cakes after our meals. You would think this would be bad news from the healthy eating dept, but actually having a set dessert, like a piece of cake, after dinner, reduces our snacking. However, I'm probably going to have to look into some more healthy desserts if we are to keep up with this.

This is a Zucchini Cake that I found from tastespotting.com (blog). It was a really delicious cake and extremely rich. It definitly doesn't fall into the healthy category (butter AND oil, cocoa powder AND chocolate chips.), but it's so rich you really can't eat to much at one time. I think this cake would be really good without any frosting because it's very moist and delicious or a good vanilla or buttercream frosting would be good. I can't believe i'm saying this but I think as I made it, it's a little tooo chocolately.

The zucchini also adds a nice touch, I think without the frosting it would be like a rich chocolate zucchini bread. I think it helps balance out all the sweet from the chocolate.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) Flour
• 3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounce) Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional but tasty - we didn't use
  
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (about one 10″ zucchini, about 12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the frosting

• 6oz heavy cream
• rest of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a 9x13 cake pan. (One day i'll have nice bakeware that hasn't been burned to bits, until then I have to put foil down on mine...sigh)

Shred your zucchini and set aside.



















In a mixing bowl cream together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then beat in the eggs. (I forgot the eggs for a bit...oops so I added them later, seemed to work out fine though!)



















Next mix in the flour and yogurt. Alternate 1/4 cup yogurt, stir, 1/2 cup flour, stir, until it's all mixed in.

Then add the cocoa, mixing till smooth.



















Then fold in your chocolate chips and zucchini.



















Bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.



















While that's cooling whip up your frosting. This is a ganache, which I just had to look up, is a type of frosting made from chocolate and cream.

Pour your chocolate chips into a bowl. On the stove heat your cream in a pan til it begins to simmer. Pour the cream onto the chocolate chips and let sit for a few minutes.



















After it's sat for a minute stir it for a bit and eventually a chocolate icing will form.



















Pour this on your cake and let sit for a while.

Now in theory your ganache should harden up nicely and you're cake will be all ready to go. If however, it's 1000 degrees in your apartment, you're icing is not going to get firm so at this point I would suggest sticking it in the fridge :)



















Enjoy!