cooking ala mel

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Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Gluten Free)

My first round of exams for the semester began today – one down, two more to go.  This means this week will be fueled with a whole lot of coffee and quite a bit of this healthier chocolate cake.  Nothing like finishing off a full 8-12 hour day of studying with a nice chunk of chocolatey cake.

This cake is rather quick to come together, which I think is always a must in the hustle and bustle that is fall.  If you’ve got any zucchini left from your garden, this is a great way to use it!
I always forget about how classic a simple sheet cake is; I’m always partial to highly stacked, frosting covered layer cakes, but that’s mostly because I just love making and decorating them so much.  This cake is perfect for a crowd, but it’s also perfect for every day – you definitely don’t need a special occasion to enjoy this cake.  It holds its own, though, against those fancy layered cakes; the rich chocolate flavor shines through just as much.  The yogurt and zucchini makes it perfectly moist, which always makes for a fantastic cake.
Made with almond and buckwheat flours, greek yogurt, a reduced amount of sugar by way of liquid stevia, and lots of zucchini, this is definitely a cake you can enjoy (in moderation) daily!

 

Do you like to make (and eat) sheet cakes, or do you often forget about them with all of the fancy layer cakes that seem so much better?
 
 
 
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Gluten Free)

yields one 9x13 inch pan

Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Gluten Free)

  • 1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
  • 1 cup almond meal/flour (I use Trader Joe's almond meal)
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 3/4 tsp liquid stevia (or 3/4 cup more sugar)
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt (I love Chobani)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 3 cups zucchini, shredded
    • For the chocolate ganache glaze:
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or 6 oz. chocolate, chopped)
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper (or grease well).

In a medium bowl, stir the buckwheat flour, almond meal, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the coconut sugar, yogurt, and stevia together. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, and then add the milk, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the zucchini.

Pour into the prepared baking pan, smoothing with a spatula. Bake at 350ºF for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes before glazing.

While the cake is baking, prepare the chocolate ganache glaze. Place the chocolate chips (or chocolate) into a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat, and pour over the chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool until the cake is done (or 5-10 minutes if prepared after cake is done baking).

Pour the ganache over the slightly cooled cake, smoothing evenly over the entire cake with a spatula. Serve.

Store leftovers in an airtight container, preferably in the refrigerator.

https://cookingalamel.com/2013/10/chocolate-zucchini-cake-gluten-free.html