A recipe for chocolate cake with zucchini

The pairing of chocolate and zucchini in a cake is one strange and unusual combination. One story has it that zucchini cakes came into vogue in the US sometime in the seventies, along with other vegetable cakes like carrot cakes and tomato cakes. Zucchinis are familiar to many Americans whose home gardens are invaded every summer by a glut of this squash. The zucchini or courgette is a narrow squash that resembles a cucumber in size and shape. Its smooth, thin skin is usually green in color and can be speckled or striped. Its tender flesh is creamy white in color. Its yellow-orange flowers resemble our native kalabasa flowers. Young zucchini can be shredded or diced for salads. It can be pureed with a little water and seasoned to create a sauce. It can be baked into a casserole with onions, carrots, peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables. It can be made into a soup. It can be sliced into very thin strips and used in place of noodles for a pasta dish. And of course, it can be baked into a bread or cake. Filipinos have begun to see zucchinis in the supermarkets practically all year round in the past decade or so. Weekend and organic markets now also feature zucchinis among their regular products. In the supermarkets, zucchini retails for around P45 per kilo. For this cake, I used two medium zucchinis which cost around P22.

But why even use zucchini for a chocolate cake? Because zucchini makes the cake super moist, the hallmark of a successful chocolate cake. A whole cup of butter, oil, buttermilk, extra eggs, mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt – all these ingredients have been mainstays of chocolate cake recipes that aim to attain that satisfying moistness factor. But for me, zucchini is the secret ingredient. Zucchini has a water content of more than 95 percent. Thus, apart from the zucchini, this recipe’s only other liquid ingredients are the butter, eggs and sugar. No milk, mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk or extra eggs. Other recipes require that the liquid be drained out of the zucchini before being used, but those recipes also include another liquid like milk. So take note that this recipe needs the liquid from the zucchini. Zucchini is low in calories. With only 13 calories in a half-cup of raw zucchini, it is an ideal food for those on a diet. It also contains anti-oxidants and is a good source of vitamins A, C and potassium. Best of all, you won’t taste the zucchini at all in the chocolate cake. So, on to the recipe! Chocolate Zucchini Cake 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 scant cup light brown sugar (I used coco sweetener) ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract or orange zest (optional) 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules 3 large eggs 2 cups unpeeled grated zucchini (about 1 ½ medium zucchini) 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate Confectioner’s sugar (optional) This recipe uses three bowls. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch square pan (I used a glass pan). You could also use a 9-inch or 10-inch round pan or two 8x4-inch loaf pans or one regular muffin pan. Flouring the pan after greasing it ensures the quick release of the cake. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. It is best to sift the ingredients because cocoa tends to clump and it is best incorporated in the dry mixture by sifting. I floured the pan with some of this flour-cocoa mixture. In the past, I have also used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour with good results. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and the butter with an electric mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla or orange extract, coffee granules, and eggs, mixing well after each addition. The coffee will intensify the flavor of the chocolate; you won’t taste it at all, but you can omit this ingredient if you like. If you have an orange for zesting, it would be best to use that instead of the extract. In another bowl, combine the grated zucchini, chopped chocolate and about one-third of the flour mixture, making sure the zucchini strands are well-coated. For the chopped chocolate, I used a combination of roughly chopped tablea rounds and mocha chips. If you use tablea, make sure it does not contain additives that make it hard as a rock. The tablea should easily give when you chop it with a knife. Add the rest of the flour mixture into the egg mixture, mixing by hand until combined just right. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. Gently fold the zucchini mixture into the batter and blend everything with a spatula. Again, do not overmix. You will notice that the batter will liquefy a little. That’s the liquid from the zucchini. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer onto a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife or spatula around the pan to loosen the cake. Turn the cake over onto a serving plate. Cut it into slices and serve slightly warm or at room temperature, with a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar if you like. – YA, GMANews.TV