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| Chocolate Zucchini Muffin |
Vegetables and Fruit are obviously easily incorporated into many recipes. Fall and Winter are the two times of year I make baked goods, and that is due to the volume of produce I have grown, or have been given. This year, instead of Beet Cakes, I have made Zucchini Loaves and Muffins.
Zucchini can grow to 3 feet or more and their skins and flesh become denser the larger and older they get. I had a few large Zucchinis I wouldn't use in a Vegetable Soup or as Side Dish due to their size, but I used them in the following recipes as gifts for friends.
I've included an Image of one of the largest Zuchinnis I had the pleasure of working with this year. It was massive and it was the base for a relish I made, the skin was woody and of little use in a recipe unless it was peeled and seeded.Before I get started on the recipes, a couple of notes when using very large Zucchini in baking or cooking.
You can leave the skin and seeds intact on Zucchini which is my preference when making these cakes, however:
If the skin is hard too cut through, peel it away as best you can. If the skin is too brittle, it won't break down when you are cooking or baking with it.
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| Cinnamon Zucchini Muffin |
When you cut into the Zucchini if the seeds are well formed and the inside has begun to separate, remove the seeds as well. Don't grate them into the cake as they additionally won't break down well enough and the texture of the cake is affected.
Fibre is good, but chewing on seeds and tough skin is very unpleasant.
Thirdly, you can sift the Flour and Cocoa to remove any clumps and break them down to a finer texture.
Fourth, if the butter is "room" temperature but still not soft enough to blend evenly, you can use your hands to work the butter and sugar together before adding them into the wet ingredients.
These Cake Recipes are almost identical, there are only two modifications, but they are important ones. Please be sure you use the correct recipe for each Cake or Zucchini Loaf. I have also used this recipe to make muffins with, temperature times vary, but not the recipe.
Additionally, this is more of a rustic style baked good. I skipped the sifting of ingredients and did leave the Zucchinis' skin and seeds intact when prepping. The skins were soft enough and the seeds still small enough to grate. There is plenty of texture and fibre to be had in leaving the skins and seeds intact.
The recipes below will make
2 Loaves, 8" x 4" pans
1 Loaf 9" x 5" pan,
12 Cup Cakes
Recipe for Cinnamon Zucchini Cake or Loaf
Wet Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter - Room Temperature
3 Large Eggs - Room Temperature
2/3 Cup Demerara Sugar
3 Cups Grated Zucchini - Room Temperature
2/3 Cups Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 TSP Vanilla Extract
Dry Ingredients
1 3/4 Cups AP Flour
1 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Baking Powder
1 TSP Cinnamon
1/4 TSP Nutmeg
1/4 TSP Salt
Recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake or Loaf
Wet Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter - Room Temperature
3 Large Eggs - Room Temperature
2/3 Cup Demerara Sugar
3 Cups Grated Zucchini - Room Temperature
2/3 Cups Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 TSP Vanilla ExtractDry Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups AP Flour
4 TBSP Cocoa Powder
1 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Baking Powder
1 TSP Cinnamon
1/4 TSP Salt
Additional Oil to coat the Pans you will be baking with.
The process is the same for both cakes, as is the cooking temperature.
Pre-heat your oven to 350 F
COOKING TIMES:
2 Loaves, 8" x 4" pans, 35 - 40 Minutes
1 Loaf 9" x 5" pan, 55 - 60 Minutes
12 Cup Cakes 20 - 25 Minutes
In a medium size Bowl add Butter and Demerara Sugar.Use a hand Mixer and Blend until smooth. If needed, use a spatula to scrape off of the mixing blades and back into the bowl. You want an even consistency of Butter to Sugar.
To the same bowl add Eggs, Grated Zucchini, Vanilla, and Vegetable Oil.
Using a hand mixer, on a low setting, blend until smooth.
Using a hand mixer, on a low setting, blend until smooth.Sift your dry ingredients into a second Bowl and stir to ensure the Cocoa Flour and Spices are evenly distributed. (You can skip this step and stir the ingredients if you wish).
Pour your wet ingredients over your dry ingredients.
Pour your wet ingredients over your dry ingredients.
With a hand mixer, mix everything together. Approximately 2 minutes on a low setting and 3 minutes on a medium setting.
Do take the time to scrape the sides of the bowl back down into the batter after the first blending, to ensure you have all of the proportions correctly distributed within the mix.
Test your Cake or Muffins with a tooth pick, pierce the centre of the cake quickly with an end and remove. If the tooth pick comes away clean, your cakes are ready.
Remove from oven and allow to cool fully on a wire rack prior to removing from the pans.
These recipes will give you a nice sweet treat to enjoy with a cup of coffee, but not too sweet.
I'm back on track now with the blogging! I'll be discussing drying herbs, hoow to cook with some of the varities I grew, plus there will be more of those recipes that just show you how you can stretch your ingredients to maximize their use.Depending on whether you are watching your budget or just wish to be aware of what you are eating, making your own food is the ultimate.
Have a wonderful day!
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