Recipe: Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This decadent zucchini cake recipe is not only a great way to use up even large zucchini, it's also versatile enough to go from afternoon coffee to fancy celebration.

A rich orange infused genache adds a fudgy, sweeter layer to the moist chocolate cake.

Ingredients:

Cake

3/4 cup butter

1 cup organic sugar*

3 farm fresh organic eggs* - preferably at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 organic, washed orange

2 cups grated organic zucchini*

1/2 cup milk

1/4 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

2 1/2 cups organic all purpose flour* or 2 3/4 cups organic light spelt flour*

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*F regular setting or convection. Choose a cake pan, such as bunt cake, 2 - 9 inch round (or larger) cake pans, cupcakes etc. Choose a pan that matches the occasion - layers for a fancier cake, bunt or rectangular for a casual occasion.

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl

Cream softened butter with sugar, slowly adding eggs and vanilla until fluffy

Add dry ingredients to creamed and combine quickly

Add grated zucchini, orange peel as well as walnuts and chocolate chips if using

Stir together adding milk slowly until fully combined

Fill into pan and bake. Time depends on pan used, from about 20 minutes for cupcakes or larger, low pan, to 45minutes - 1 hr for a bunt pan. After 20 minutes check periodically with tooth pick. If toothpick comes out 'clean' (not covered in dough), your cake is done.

Orange Genache:

zest of 1 organic orange

3/4 cup - 1 cup of 35% cream (less for spreadable genache, more to pour)

100g bar or dark chocolate (45% - 60%, your preference - more cacao means less sugar)

Directions:

Break or chop chocolate into small pieces and place in ceramic or glass bowl.

In sauce pan combine orange zest and cream and very slowly bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Use a small sieve to separate the orange peel from the cream as you pour it over the chocolate. Let the cream sit on the chocolate without stirring for several minutes to melt it, then stir together with a spoon. If all the chocolate does not melt after several minutes you can heat the mixture in the micro wave, 15 seconds at a time if needed.

To pour, cool the mixture for 5-15 minutes. To spread, cool for 1 hour on counter or store in fridge until ready to use.

Decorate with whatever you like. spread the genache on my cake creating a simple swirl and applied gold dust with a brush to create this luxurious effect, but a fun mix of sprinkles or chopped roasted nuts on poured genache would look lovely.

Happy Baking and enjoy!

- Rita