March 2013 Daring Bakers Challenge

It's baking challenge reveal day! And, boy, am I glad that I have a reminder on my phone's calendar to keep me on top of things. I would have completely forgotten to post about this month's Daring Bakers challenge had it not just beeped at me.

This month, we were tasked with incorporating at least one vegetable into a dessert. As soon as I read the challenge description, I knew what I was going to make. When I was a kid, my mom used to make a really yummy chocolate cake that had zucchini tucked inside for added moisture.

I called my mom and asked for the recipe. When she called me back with it, I was folding laundry and really didn't have any writing implements at hand. I ran to the kids' art bin and found a piece of brown construction paper and a red crayon. Perfect! I scribbled down the recipe and half considered keeping it in that format, but decided it would be more prudent to write it out in longhand for future use. Darn you, logic, you won again!

This cake's origins are a bit unclear. My mom couldn't recall if she got the recipe from her friend Mary or if her friend Mary gave the recipe to her. Either way, it is now in my possession and because my mom gave it to me, I'm taking over the naming rights.

I baked the cake this weekend. Much to our niece Emily's amazement, the kids and I had this baby out of the oven and on a cooling rack by 7:30 AM! (Welcome to life with young children!)

I figured we could use this cake for Conor's actual birthday (tomorrow!!!) and then the fancier cake for his family gathering on Sunday (aka Easter). Because we're saving the cake until tomorrow, please imagine the cake below is sliced and has a lovely dusting of powdered sugar on top!

I almost forgot to take a picture of the cake, so had to unwrap it from its Saran and foil coverings ... hence the less than grand picture.

 

 

Nana's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

 

Ingredients

• 1 c. brown sugar
• ½ c. white sugar
• ½ c. butter
• ½ c. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ c. buttermilk
• 2 ½ c. flour
• ½ tsp. all spice
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground clove
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 4 T. cocoa powder
• 2 zucchini (grated = 2 c.)
• 1 c. chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In mixer bowl, cream together sugars, butter, and oil.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
4. Add flour, all spice, cinnamon, clove, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
5. Fold in zucchini.
6. Pour batter into greased bundt pan.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of batter.
8. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto cooling rack.
10. Sift powdered sugar over cake before slicing.

 Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!

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