Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Hello friends. Hope you entered your name in the Fotomatr giveaway I started yesterday. If you missed it, make sure you scroll down to yesterday's post for all the details.

Today's food share is a desert. Chocolate and Zucchini...I've heard the combination before but was pleasantly surprised at the result after testing this recipe out. This is definitely my new favorite chocolate cake recipe!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

From “Taste of Home Potluck cookbook”

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup canola oil

1 ¾ cups sugar

2 eggs

1tsp. vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup baking cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

½ cup buttermilk

2 cups shredded zucchini

Frosting

1 cup flaked coconut

6 tbsp. butter, softened

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup milk

In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to batter alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in zucchini.

Pour into a greased 13-in x 9 in. baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the frosting ingredients. Spread over warm cake. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely

Yield: 12-15 servings

My thoughts....
-I was very surprised at how the grated Zuchinni made this cake very moist. I still have yet to "master" the baking in high altitude thing but this cake was not affected by my location at all.
-I'm a sweet and salty kinda gal so too much chocolate doesn't really entice me but with the coconut and walnut additions to the frosting/topping of this cake made it really scrumptious (in my opinion).
-I think this is a great way of integrating some seasonal veggies in your family's diet as well. I'm definitely going to be making this again once Zucchini's start going on sale. Heck, I might even add it to my vegetable garden list next year. :)
-And one last thing...this was taken from a cookbook specifically made for potlucks and feeding a crowd so  if you are going to try it out for your family....be warned....leftovers are FANTASTIC as well. *wink*

Hope you enjoyed our Food Friday share and have a great weekend.

Till next time,
Grace