REC REV: ~Alliea~Knockout Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Alliea, I can't help but review this recipe as so many others have done. Hands down, this is the best chocolate zucchini cake and my family just loves it.  We celebrated birthdays this month with this cake and it always brings smiles even though we have had zucchini in every way, shape and form. No coffee in the frosting~just a wonderful moist chocolate cake and chocolate frosting...YUM

This is one recipe everyone needs in their file~

Thank you for sharing this recipe! Linda

KNOCKOUT CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

Calling every tester on this Board- Try this One! Very rich and Moist.

2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup Applesauce
3 cups grated or shredded zucchini (Don't Drain :( )
3/4 cups SS Chocolate Chips



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan. with Pam or butter the pan.

In mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt . Add the room temperature eggs , oil, and applesauce mix well. Mix in the zucchini Fold in the Chocolate Chips. Pour into the prepared pan. . Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting.

My AirBake pan takes 55 min, some testers dependant on pan needed less cooking time...


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.


CHOCOLATE FROSTING
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Opt- 1/2 tsp Instant coffee dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water ( cooled)
To make the frosting, melt the 6 tablespoons of margarine in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup; Whisk in the Baking cocoa. In a medium bowl, blend together te confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (and coffee if desired). Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled cake.

Isn't this the best !  I have made it may times and girl you gave it a double wammie, with the addition of the icing !

Triple decadence !!!!!!!  Yum. 

Great cooking this weekend  Linda.

Everyone ate very well !  

Alliea,  Another winner !  Thanks  Bunches ! 

Janie

Hi Linda- DH was just complaining that he has yet to get Zucchini Bread or Chocolate Zucchini cake this year even though our garden is bursting with Zucchini right now. Truth of the matter is my Cusinart Food processor bowl has a chunk O' plastic broken  off  on the bottom  so will not  lock and  is    

  unusable  at present . I like to shred a lot of zucchini at a time in 2  and 3 cup portions to label and freeze for convenience and also to make bread and cakes all winter. I also am notorious for grating my fingers when using my manual grater   so that's not happening.

**no matter how watery this looks when thawed  or fresh DO NOT  drain   or squeeze the moisture out of zucchini used for baking breads or cakes potential Bakers it's a huge NO NO the moisture is what you need!

Help is on the way however I ordered the bowl from Amazon so DH will get his zucchini bread and cakes shortly.

Thank you Linda I definitely agree this cake is a huge keeper and when you peel the zucchini no one will ever guess it is not just a good moist chocolate cake. Even Zucchini haters like this one. It is in our Family Tastebook.

Alliea~I have a confession to make to you  When I make this cake, I KNOW where I got this recipe...No matter how I try to set the record straight with my family and friends as to where I copied the recipe from, I just love it when the grandkids say 'Grams, will you make your zucchini cake'...They all have a copy of it in their recipe boxes, but they want me to make it.  They must not want to grate the zucchini either.

I do it all at once in my food processor~I gave it up years ago when I got my first food processor! Seriously, there have been many inventions that have made my life so much easier! lol

I have zucchini frozen in bags, but you know what? I always drained it all these years...shame on me!

We love this great cake and I thank you for sharing it!  Linda

cllw

'Grams, will you make your zucchini cake'...

That's Great Linda ! More power to you- If your family is happy that is what counts- YOU baked it so it is YOUR cake.

I thank you for that and your recipe   I hope the same for anyone that has enjoyed a recipe from me~

cllw

Hands down, this is the best chocolate zucchini cake

cllw

This is one recipe everyone needs in their file~

Thank you for sharing this recipe!

I agree

thank you Alliea and linda for the review and recipe- I love this cake

Alliea

**no matter how watery this looks when thawed  or fresh DO NOT  drain   or squeeze the moisture out of zucchini used for baking breads or cakes potential Bakers it's a huge NO NO the moisture is what you need!

Alliea this doesn't hold true for all recipes.  It might be fine with this cake recipe but zucchini has too much natural liquid and what works for this recipe might not work for all recipes.  Our Test Kitchen always drains & squeezes out the excess moisture - not just for breads but for other recipes using shredded zucchini as well like this Zucchini Pizza.  I think draining is the norm.

Many people  do like to drain their zucchini and that is their prerogative  but for me personally   I will have to  agree to disagree with them re" breads and cakes since Ds and  I have made  many different  zucchini bread, cake or zucchini brownie recipes for over 20 years.

 For the particular cake mentioned as well as my two favorite zucchini breads I definitely recommend not draining it though, I also find a difference between shredded and grated zucchini-my preference is shredded. ~Alliea

PJM on the King Arthur flour site    answers Anne's question about measuring zucchini, shredding it immediately in the Food processor pulling out the shredded zucchini by hand and measuring it- this is what I do too.

DS and   I took some classes here in Norwich Vermont when we lived in Norwich --so much fun and informative too. .   http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/07/13/double-chocolate-zucchini-bread-eat-your-vegetables-and-chocolate/

I guess my point was.....that you have to do whatever the recipe asks.  The recipe you posted says "don't drain"....so don't drain.  

BUT many, many recipes do drain so if you took the "never, ever drain" advice you'd have a disaster by not following the recipe.

Now - if the recipe doesn't specify, well you've got yourself an issue.