That's a Vegetable?

Sure, the basket with tomatoes and onions in the background, that's what we mean by vegetable--but surely not the thing that looks like chocolate cake? Actually, to be botanically correct, I should call it a fruit. But whatever it is, it isn't regular chocolate cake, that's certain.

It's zucchini chocolate cake.

What better way to commemorate the first zucchini harvest of the season than to make a great dessert with it, I always say. While it's a scratch recipe, it's not too complicated to make (no sifting or clarifying or other action-verb directions obscure to the box-cake aficionado.) Nevertheless, it gives you the aura of a kitchen folklore wizard. I adapted the recipe from one I found in a cookbook exclusively dedicated to zucchini recipes, and the frosting simply came from the back of a cocoa tin. Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup cocoa
3 eggs
2 C sugar
1/2 C oil
3/4 C milk
1 1/2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Stir together first 8 ingredients, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture is fluffy. Slowly beat in oil. Stir in flour mixture, milk and zucchini-applesauce mix one third at a time alternating each. Add vanilla and blend lightly but thoroughly. Put in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Chocolate Frosting
Mix 1/2 C softened butter with 1/3 C milk and 2/3 C unsweetened cocoa. Add 3 C powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix until well blended. Frost cooled cake.

Happy baking!