Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is our favorite summer cake and a really decadent way to use all that zucchini that your friends are forcing on you this time of year. Perfect with vanilla ice cream and a lovely snack or breakfast all by itself.

Mexican Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Makes one 8 x 5 inch loaf pan

1 ¼ cup flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (plus more for dusting pan)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 medium eggs
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup grated zucchini (unpeeled if organic, peeled if not)
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with butter and lightly dust it with cocoa powder.

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir with a whisk and put aside.

Mix butter and sugar together in a small mixing bowl until well combined; add eggs, milk, and vanilla and orange extracts and mix well but do not overbeat.

Gently mix the butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Add zucchini (and nuts if using) and combine gently. Spread into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan before tipping cake out of pan onto a cooling rack.