Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 3 cups grated zucchini (i like using both the coarse and fine holes on a box grater)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups neutral oil (like canola or soy)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (more for garnish, if desired)
• Frosting:
• 4 oz cream cheese (1/2 cup), softened at room temperature
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
• Squeeze of lemon or lime juice (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup 2 Tbsp sifted confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour a 9″ bundt pan.

Set zucchini in a strainer or colander for at least half an hour to drain out the excess liquid.

Whisk together eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, sift flour with cocoa, salt and soda. Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture, folding together until just barely combined. Fold in the zucchini, breaking up any clumps, and then the nuts. Be careful not to over-mix.

Pour batter into your prepared pan, and bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert and finish cooling on a rack or plate.

When the cake is cool, make the frosting. Using a mixer or food processor, blend together cream cheese and butter until uniform. Add the vanilla and optional citrus juice, then beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Garnish with additional walnuts, if desired.