the weekend baker

The Flavors of Fall ~

Zucchini Spice Cake

If you're lucky enough to have a bumper crop of zucchini squash (or know someone who does), quickly whip up this incredibly moist, spicy and delicious Zucchini Spice Cake. It's wonderful on its own, or with a bit of applesauce. (If you really want to frost it, I would suggest a cream cheese frosting similar to pumpkin bars.)
The original recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks by the folks at Victory Garden; I've tweaked it a bit to suit my tastes but in general you can personalize the spices to your preferences. I've also considered substituting some of the vanilla extract with a tiny bit of maple, but haven't experimented with that yet, as well as versions with walnuts and/or raisins. I'm too busy enjoying this recipe as is!

The recipe is simple to adjust if you're up to your ears in zucchini and wish to make 2 or 3 cakes. It is also perfect for school lunches (how about baking the batter in fun cupcake form?) and it freezes absolutely beautifully. It's a recipe that you will turn to again and again.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (I prefer safflower in this recipe)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups grated zucchini (or, you can use yellow squash as well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 degrees Celsius).

Combine dry ingredients. Beat together the eggs, brown sugar and pure vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients, stir in the grated zucchini. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 inch (approx. 20x20 cm) baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (or if you can't resist the wonderful spicy fragrance a minute longer!).