Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I love Sundays. My hubby doesn't have to work Sundays, and so it is the one guaranteed day during the week that the whole family will be home together. Family time is important. Often times on Sundays I get the hankering for something sweet. I pull out the recipes and find something yummy to make, and I usually get plenty of help from the kids. Not everyone enjoys cooking with their kids (let's be honest, it makes the whole process longer and messier), but when I have the time I love to have the kids help out in the kitchen. Cooking is an important skill to learn! 

We still have a lot of zucchini growing in the garden, so we decided to put some of that fresh produce to good use by making a delicious treat. Maybe not the healthiest way to incorporate veggies into your families diet, but still better than no veggies at all, right?!

A few years back a friend of mine had made this cake, and I was lucky enough to try it. Oh my goodness! I couldn't believe it was a zucchini cake. It was so moist, and chocolaty, and YUMMY, and I had to have the recipe! Now each year as we get a pile of zucchinis from the garden I can't help but make this cake at least once. 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake:

1/2 cup shortening or butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk (or add 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to milk and let sit for about 10 minutes to curdle)

2 cups packed grated zucchini

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour

4 Tbsp Cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cloves

dash of nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Cream sugar, oil, and shortening together. Add the eggs and vanilla. Alternate adding the buttermilk and the dry ingredient mixture.

Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 size baking pan. 

Sprinkle topping mixture over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure the center is cooked through. If not, bake a few more minutes and check again. When cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool. 

This is delicious served alone, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!