The other day, I was reading Celia’s post, One Giant Tromboncino, where she mentioned she had made a chocolate zucchini cake with some of the tromboncino. It reminded me of the chocolate zucchini cake I used to make.
I have a tendency to overcook cakes. I am sure it is because I don’t make them often and, therefore, have never worked out just the right moment to take them out of the oven. I have been advised to take them out just before they are perfect because they continue cooking… but when is that?
I don’t usually make cakes because, if you make them, you eat them and I am fat enough but my friend, Sandra, was coming around the other evening and Sandra likes all things sweet so, with the cake on my mind, I decided to make it.
It was lovely and moist, notwithstanding my overcooking tendency. I am sure it is the zucchini that keeps it moist. If you are like me and never come up with a lovely, moist, perfectly-cooked cake, give this one a go. It works for me every time. There is no hint of zucchini: it is just a rich and luscious chocolate cake.
The recipe calls for orange icing. I am sure it would taste just as nice, or even better, with the cream cheese icing commonly used on carrot cakes.
I found the recipe in an old Australian Women’s Weekly publication, Quick & Easy Family Meals. I just read on the web that it is also in the Australian Women’s Weekly’s Cakes and Slices Cookbook which is readily available.
Ingredients:
- 90g butter
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1¼ cups self-raising flour
- ¼ cup cocoa
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- ½ cup chopped pecans/ walnuts
Orange Icing
- 30g butter, softened
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 tbs* orange juice
*These are 20 mil tablespoons
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Butter a 15cm x 25cm loaf tin, line it with baking paper and then butter the baking paper.
- Cream the butter, zest and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa and cinnamon.
- Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and the milk, zucchini and pecans/walnuts.
- Transfer dough into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Stand for three minutes before turning on to a wire rack to cool.
- Spread cold cake with orange icing.
Orange Icing
Beat butter and rind in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar and juice.
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I have a birthday cake to make for my daughters birthday this weekend. I just found the recipe! Thanks for sharing this, she LOVES zucchini (I know, strange child) and I love chocolate so it’s a win win
Happy birthday to the little gourmet, she will love this one, especially all that icing.
This looks very good, Glenda, really moist. I love that you chose to frost it, too, especially being it’s orange-flavored. That touch of citrus would be great.
Hi John, it must have been good, it is all gone 🙂
Tastetravel
‘Glenda, as a regular cake maker, here are my tips – the majority of cakes take 1 hour in 180 c oven, (fan forced ovens can be a little lower) I always test with a skewer well before the hour is up to allow for the difference in the various ovens that the authors have used. If cakes have lots of butter they don’t dry out as much, so look at the ratio of butter also when second guessing the possibility of the cake drying by overcooking. Save brown paper bags for placing over the top about half way through if the cake looks like it is browning too quickly, harder to tell with chocolate cakes! Roz’
Roz, thanks for this. I will copy it to my blog as it is really useful. What I usually do is test the cake with a skewer when it is still raw and then put it on for 10 more minutes because I am too scared to keep opening the oven and test it again and it is dry.
With this cake it said ‘Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes.’ Because it was in a hot fan forced oven I put it on 170C. I tested after 40 minutes -raw. Then after 45 minutes – raw then after another 10 minutes cooked a little too long!!! Any suggestions?
G
You know, it’s always the “can’t find any bit of zucchini (or tromboncino) in the crumb” but that gets to me – how on earth does that happen? I think this looks fabulous, Glenda, thank you for posting it (I know you did it just for me :)).. xxx
Yeah, I thought the queen of cake making (and chocolate tempering) may be interested 😀 I really like cakes with vegetables in them, be it zucchini, pumpkin, beetroot or carrot, because I am sure the vegetable does keep the cake moist. Where does that vegetable go?
Ooo, delicious! I will have to buy some zucchinis this week and turn your beautiful cake into cupcakes.
🙂 Mandy xo
Cupcakes ooh!! How long would you cook them for?
It would be trial and error Glenda. I would start them off at 10 minutes and work up in small increments. I reckon they would take between 12 and 15 minutes. 🙂
thanks Mandy