CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE
Refrigerated, this special cake has a more dense texture, which
my husband and son love; however, at room temperature it has a lighter
texture. I promise nobody practically will figure out there is zucchini
in the cake, especially since I peeled the zucchini first before
grating. It simply contributes to the moistness and texture of the
cake. If you suddenly have more zucchini growing in your garden than you
know what do with, this is a great recipe. The cake freezes well The
carob option is for people like me who cannot have cocoa or dark
chocolate due to migraines. For me it has been about 15 years of having
to mostly abstain or risk a migraine, and many a time I did risk it and
paid the price! I have to tell you this carob powder tastes like the
real thing in baking. I love it. I even use the unsweetened carob
chips instead of chocolate chips. My life has become sweeter as my
beloved chocolate is back on the table for me again. Thanks to one
sweet lady who cared enough to comment on my blog that that is what her
mother used. I decided to try it out and now you will see more
chocolate desserts from me once again.
The
cake batter is divided between two cake pans. You can even make this
cake in small bundt pans or one big one.To test if the cake is done, use
a cake tester, toothpick or sharp knife in the cake. When cool, run a
sharp knife along the sides of the pan.
Some people add espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor, but I think that would simply make the cake less sweet. I always use large eggs.
You could use a Chocolate Ganache frosting instead.
Instead
of a cake, one could make chocolate zucchini muffins or cupcakes with
the frosting. I use dutch-process cocoa powder. It is amazing to be
able to hide vegetables in a cake, don't you think? Eat cake, and eat
your veggies at the same time. Haha!
The
sweetener tables for all the most common scenarios are in my cookbooks
for your convenience. For example, ¾ cup sugar sweetness (not ¾ cup
liquid) using my bottle of sucralose from the EZ-Sweetz brand
(whether the smaller one of 0.5 oz or the bigger yellow bottle of 2 oz –
Zero carbs) would be 18 or 36 drops respectively. Here is an article
and video about the sweeteners. Part 1. There is another article and video here: Part 2.
INGREDIENTS:
(for Keto Bake Mix - use 1/4 cup more), OR 21/2 cups almond flour
plus 4 tbsp oat fiber
1 tbsp baking powder (15 mL)
1 tsp baking soda (5 mL)
1 tsp cinnamon (5 mL)
1/2 tsp salt (2 mL)
3/4 cup
butter, softened (175 mL)
3 eggs
1/3 cup powdered sweetener (such as Monkfruit/Allulose) (75 mL)
(Use double the amount if using cocoa)
3/4 cup heavy cream (175 mL)
2 tsp vanilla extract (10
mL)
11/2 tsp unflavored gelatin (7 mL)
2 cups finely grated,
peeled zucchini (500 mL)
Chocolate Cream
Cheese Frosting:
8 oz regular cream cheese
(250 g)
Liquid sweetener (sucralose or stevia) to equal 1
cup sugar (250 mL)
1/2 cup almond butter (125 mL)
1/2 cup vanilla, OR chocolate whey protein
(125 mL)
(I use GNC Gold Standard)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (50 mL)
1/4 cup powdered sweetener, OR (60 mL)
6 sweetener packets (the kind for coffee)
2 tbsp heavy cream (30 mL)
2 tsp light-tasting olive oil (10 mL)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In large bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2, OR Keto Bake Mix, OR alternative, carob powder, OR cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In food processor,
process butter and add eggs while processing.
Add liquid sweetener, powdered sweetener, heavy cream, vanilla extract and
gelatin; process. Add zucchini and
process briefly. Add the dry ingredients
and process about 1 minute until well incorporated, scraping the sides
occasionally.
Pour into two
nonstick, 8-inch (20 cm) cake pans that have been lined on the bottom with
parchment paper sprayed with nonstick cooking spray on both sides. You can skip that step and simply grease and "flour" with a dusting of bake mix or almond flour. Bake 50 minutes or until cake tester comes out
clean. Allow cake to cool completely in
a draft-free area on wire rack before removing and frosting the cake. Frost the cake between layers, on top and
down the sides. The cake can be left at
room temperature for hours at a time, but should be refrigerated in between.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: In
food processor with sharp S-blade, combine cream cheese, liquid sweetener,
almond butter, vanilla, OR chocolate whey protein, butter, carob powder, OR
cocoa, powdered sweetener, OR sweetener packets, heavy cream and olive oil. Process well until it is smooth, scraping the
sides occasionally.
Helpful
Hints: This cake would make good cupcakes made in a
muffin pan with cupcake liners or it could be spread in a greased 9 x 13-inch
(23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish or poured into two parchment-lined 8-inch (20
cm) nonstick heart-shaped cake pans or an 8-inch greased, nonstick springform
pan. Baking times will vary depending on
the bake ware chosen, so keep an eye on your creation and use a cake
tester. When cool, run knife around
circumference of cake between cake and pan and then invert, supporting cake
with palm of hand to gently release.
Remove parchment paper.
Yield: 16 servings
Carob/cocoa
357.8/450.6
calories
8.6/10.0
g protein
29.6/30.2
g fat
2.2/3.8 g fiber
10.7/6.6
g net carbs
ANOTHER RECIPE YOU MAY ENJOY:
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