
I developed this recipe so that we could have a simple and healthy snack cake we could actually snack on. I have since discovered that this cake is crazy versatile. Over the years I have done everything from turning it into a decadent layered, frosted birthday cake (I used whole wheat cake & pastry flour, butter, and coarsely grated zucchini) to unabashedly serving the kids the Over-The-Top-Healthy version for breakfast!
I hope that you enjoy making this cake as much as I enjoy eating it….that is to say a lot!
This recipe makes 1 rectangle pan, 2 round/square pans or 24 small cupcakes.
Baking Tips:
- The key to success with this cake is really whipping the sugar mixture before adding the milk & dry ingredients – it won’t get fluffy, but as light as possible is the goal.
- The finer you grate the zucchini the denser the cake - depending on the ingredient choices you make it this cake is either similar to a devil food cake or almost as dense as a brownie.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F).
- Oil & flour the bottom of the pan(s) or line the bottom(s) with paper (wax or parchment).
- Mix together the flour, cocoa/carob, soda & salt - sift the cocoa/carob if it has lumps.
- Cream together the butter/coconut oil & sugar in a large bowl until it is lightened – 1-2 minutes
- Whip the apple sauce into the sugar mixture– 1-2 minutes…the applesauce will not fully combine with the butter/coconut oil
- Add the eggs one at a time, whipping after each addition
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Starting with the dry ingredients, mix into the sugar mixture the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in three alternate additions each. The batter will be quite stiff.
- Fold in the grated zucchini.
- Scrape the batter into the pan(s) and smooth.
- If using, sprinkle the chocolate chips/nuts/seeds on the top of the batter.
- Bake in the centre of the oven until a tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out moist but clean (no batter or crumbs): approx. 50 minutes for the rectangle, 40-45 for the square and 35-40 for the round, 30 for the cupcakes.
- Cool in the pan.
Enjoy with abandon!