If you are hungry for a Chocolate cake that is not too sweet, dense, perfect for afternoon tea or easy to take on a picnic cake that needs nothing more than a glass of milk, after dinner cognac, or glass of red wine or port, this is it! One slice says it all!
MIMI MONTANO’S CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE
(From DEATH BY CHOCOLATE CAKES, Marcel Desaulniers, William Morrow 2000)
Serves eighteen
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large zucchini (About 3/4 pound), washed, stem removed, and grated on medium grater disk of food processor
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups canola or safflower oil
- 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
To prepare:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally coat the inside of a non-stick angel food cake (tube) pan with melted butter and set aside.
Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Working in the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat until frothy, gradually add sugar and continue beating until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add oil and blend. Whisk in melted chocolate. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add grated zucchini and mix about one minute. Remove beaters and fold chocolate chips into the batter until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared tube pan and place it on a baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour and fifty minutes.
Remove from the oven, cool in the pan on cooling rack until room temperature. Unmold the cake onto a large plate and cool at least one hour before slicing. Using a serrated knife, cut into slices and serve unfrosted with a glass of milk for the kids or a pony of Grappa for the grownups.