Chocolate Zucchini Loaf for the Festive Season
Chocolate Zucchini Loaf
Serves ~10 slices I Preparation: 30 mins & Baking time: 45-50 mins I dairy free
I was inspired to make this loaf from a lovely friend who recently made her chocolate zucchini loaf. She kindly passed me the recipe by Liren (Kitchen Confiante). I tweaked the recipe by replacing the white flour with oat flour and almond meal. I also reduced the amount of sugar and used brown sugar instead. I’ve made this loaf quite a few times now and it has been heart-warming to know that my family enjoys it too! I definitely will be making more of these throughout the festive season.
You may have seen the word ‘zucchini’ in this recipe and think, what? But zucchini is flavourless. It also moistens and softens the cake whilst making it quite filling. This also helps to reduce the amount of unhealthy ingredients such as white refined flour. Zucchini also has quite a bit of fibre to aid digestion and elimination. Furthermore, this cake contains olive oil. If you’ve ever had a chocolate olive oil cake, the olive oil offers that lovely unique flavour that enriches the cocoa whilst offering that damp, yet airy texture in cakes. That would be the best way I can describe it!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!
Ingredients
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup oat flour
(blend 1/4 cup oats in a high speed blender or you can use normal white flour)
1/3 Dutch process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large zucchini ~350 g
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large chocolate buttons
Equipment
Baking paper
Loaf tin size ~21.5 cm X 11 cm
Grater
Chopping board (to grate the zucchini)
Medium mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl
2 measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Mixing spoon
2 X Sieve
Method
Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line the loaf tin with baking paper.
On a chopping board, grate the zucchini.
Over the sink, place zucchini in a sieve and squeeze out the water from the zucchini as best you can with your hands.
It is okay if not all the water is removed as some of it will add to the moisture of the cake.
Place the zucchini in a medium mixing bowl. Crack in the eggs, oil, vanilla extract and brown sugar.
In a separate large mixing bowl, sift in the almond meal, flour, Dutch cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Gradually fold in the wet zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients and gently mix till all is combined.
Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin.
Evenly place the chocolate buttons on top of the mixture.
Place the loaf into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.
You can test if the loaf is cooked through by pricking it with a toothpick. It is cooked when there is no major wet residue sticking onto the tooth pick.
When cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to cool for about an hour.
Tips
When grating the zucchini, grate along the round diameter of the zucchini, not the length to avoid the strands being too long. The grated zucchini pieces should be no more than 4 cm long.
The batter may look more loose and watery than a standard cake batter, however this is okay as the water from the zucchini will reduce during the baking process.
The zucchini will make the loaf quite moist, allow the loaf to fully cool so it can hold its shape.
Avoid immediately slicing the loaf to damage the shape.
You could try and make this a flourless cake by replacing the flour component with almond meal.