Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I am very blessed to have many family and friends who try to be accommodating to our food restrictions when they host us. For example, my sister-in-law Angela frequently adjusts recipes to be gluten-free for us. This chocolate zucchini cake recipe was born out of one of those occasions.

You might be leery of putting so much zucchini and extra virgin olive oil in a cake, but trust me, you cannot tell either of them are in the final product! This cake is moist with a great crumb and flavor. I make a buttercream frosting, but a dairy-free coconut milk frosting can also be used.

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Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour blend*

• ¾ cup cacao powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ¾ cup sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil

• 3 cups grated zucchini (skin can be left on)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

3. Mix together the flour, cacao, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

4. Whisk the eggs and oil together in a small bowl then mix into the dry ingredients.

5. Fold in the zucchini until evenly distributed, then pour mixture into the greased pan.

6. Bake for about 60 minutes until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

7. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting of your choice.

Notes:

*I make my own blend of 2 parts almond flour to one part each of coconut and tapioca flour for baking. So, in this recipe it would be 1 cup almond flour, ½ cup coconut flour, and ½ cup tapioca flour. A store-bought gluten-free blend would also work.

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