chocolate zucchini cake

This time of year, it seems as though people have zucchini coming out of their ears. While I neglected to plant zucchini this year, I have the next best thing – a coworker with zucchini coming out of his ears! So I’ve been fortunate enough to know someone who is willing to share his zucchini bounty. I can’t turn away free food – it’s simply not possible. Well, perhaps I could turn away a few things… snouts come to mind… tripe… you get the picture… anyway we’re talking zucchini here! And it’s a vegetable that goes well with chocolate!

The only downside to making this cake is grating the two cups of zucchini. However I happen to My mom gave it to me years ago. I must admit it spent the first year or so collecting dust in my appliance cupboard, but then I clued in that it not only shoots slices of cucumber, it grates things like carrots, apples and zucchini. Carrot cake and morning glory muffins suddenly became easy-peasy. So apart from the lame name, it’s a pretty handy gadget to have.

So here we go… zucchini in all its chocolately goodness…

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

(from Jean Paré's "Cakes")

Butter or margarine, softened ½ cup

Sugar 1 ¾ cups

Eggs 2

Cooking Oil ½ cup

Sour milk (1 tbsp vinegar plus ½ cup milk)

Vanilla 1 tsp

Grated zucchini with peel 2 cups

All-purpose flour 2 ½ cups

Cocoa 1/3 cup

Baking soda 1 tsp

Baking powder ½ tsp

Cinnamon ½ tsp

Salt ½ tsp

Semisweet chocolate chips ¾ cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in cooking oil, sour milk, vanilla and zucchini.

Mix next 6 ingredients together in small bowl. Add to batter. Stir to moisten. Spread in greased 9 x13 inch pan.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake in oven for about 35 minutes until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.