He Heals the Broken Hearted

We all know about baking with fruits but did you know that vegetables work beautifully in cakes too? They add flavour, texture and moisture in cakes, reducing the butter or oil needed. This is really a great way to sneak extra vegetables in your kids' diet. 

Zucchini is pretty flavourless, adding it with chocolate to turn into a chocolate cake is pretty smart. Smile whilst your family tuck in and enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, plus more for duting the pan
1 cup pecan halves or walnut pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (2 tablespoons expresso )
1 cup granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (3/4 cup)
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips


Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan and then dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Set Aside to cool and then coarsely chop.
• Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup (and 2 tablespoons espresso). Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder,baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.
• Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.
• With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream mixtures and ending with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

I gave this cake to my sister and she couldn't tell there is zucchini in the cake. This cake is light and moist but I prefer a denser chocolate cake. If I were to make this cake again, I would make a ganache over it.

This post is linked to BakeAlong hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavour and Lena from Frozen Wings.

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3