Forget about the dang pancakes already! This is something you have to taste - The recipe is taken, shamelessly and without editing, from the Joy of Gardening Cookbook with frosting from Grandma Gwen's recipe box. It is so incredibly delicious and if I am doing my arithmetic right, it is about 75% zucchini. (Just don't tell anyone that claims they don't like squash in any form).
ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 TBSP vanilla (yes, TBSP!)
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream
3 cups coarsely grated zucchini
(I left out the nuts, but you can certainly add some)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9" round pans.
Melt the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over very low heat. Cream the butter until light; add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the batter with the buttermilk. Mix the zucchini and optional nuts into the batter. (I squoze the moisture out of the zukes while I was doing the rest. I think that is a good idea. In fact, I salted the grated zukes to help draw out the moisture instead of adding salt to the dry ingredients).
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 mins. or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 TBSP vanilla (yes, TBSP!)
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream
3 cups coarsely grated zucchini
(I left out the nuts, but you can certainly add some)
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9" round pans.
Melt the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over very low heat. Cream the butter until light; add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the batter with the buttermilk. Mix the zucchini and optional nuts into the batter. (I squoze the moisture out of the zukes while I was doing the rest. I think that is a good idea. In fact, I salted the grated zukes to help draw out the moisture instead of adding salt to the dry ingredients).
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 mins. or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake completely before frosting.
FRANCES FROSTING
(Gad, I sure miss my mom. This is one of her killer "secret" recipes that she used for every birthday cake she made, and so did our Aunt Ettie. I can still see her look of determination when she tried to stir the dang roux for 10 minutes!)
2 1/2 TBSP flour
1/2 cup milk
Mix over low flame until thick. Cook while stirring 10 minutes. Let cool. Go sit and have a beer now that you are exhausted.
1/2 cup butter - room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Cream butter with powdered sugar until smooth. Add thickened paste and beat until light and fluffy. Fold in 1 tsp vanilla.
(DOUBLE PROPORTIONS FOR 2 LAYER CAKE)
2 1/2 TBSP flour
1/2 cup milk
Mix over low flame until thick. Cook while stirring 10 minutes. Let cool. Go sit and have a beer now that you are exhausted.
1/2 cup butter - room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Cream butter with powdered sugar until smooth. Add thickened paste and beat until light and fluffy. Fold in 1 tsp vanilla.
(DOUBLE PROPORTIONS FOR 2 LAYER CAKE)
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On another note, I finally found the perfect photo opportunity. I have been searching on all of our road trips for the ideal Van Gogh field. Know where I found it? Yup - St. Paul Campus!
Comments
Is that what they look like?