Chocolate zucchini cake is an old family favorite. In fact, I still have the recipe as I copied it in my just-learned-cursive hand, with a couple of misspellings for some extra nostalgia (chocalate zucchinni). Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. It is so versatile – you can make sweet, salty or in between and zucchini will make your dish stand out. The cake, topped with chocolate chips for an extra sweet treat, has a little bit of a healthy taste while still being sweet, delicious and an excellent way to use up extra zucchini (like that ever happens, right?).
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sour milk
2 ½ cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
2 cups finely diced zucchini (try a cheese grater)
¼ cup chocolate chips
Cream margarine, oil and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and sour milk; mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Stir in diced zucchini.
Spoon batter into greased 9x12x2 baking pan; sprinkle top with chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
To make sour milk, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to one half cup milk. Let stand 5 minutes before using.
So there you have it – a family tradition. This is one of the first things I make each year when the zucchini is ripe, and even though I’ve tasted it dozens of times, I can’t help but elicit a sigh of sheer bliss when that first bite, still warm from the oven, finds its way to my mouth.
