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Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This amazing recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake is passed down from my even more amazing Grandmother.

There are some events in our lives, that alter our destiny.  We may not recognize the magnitude of a single decision in the moment in which it’s made, however it has the potential to change everything…
I’ll explain.
All my life I had been close with my grandparents. As a child, my grandparents  home in rural Maine, was a true haven for me. We called it “The Valley,” one hundred acres tucked in between two mountains.  There were times when it was sensory overload; the sun so bright it hurt your eyes… more wild flowers in the summer, and snow in the winter, than you ever saw anywhere else… the woodsy smell that always clung to Grampy tighter then we did… and the kitchen that sometimes smelled like heaven, and other times stunk of Gramp’s “special soup concoctions,” that only he would eat.
Such bittersweet memories… to this day, the smell of onions cooking in butter, takes me back to that cozy orange kitchen – ahhh… forgive me, for I’m getting sidetracked…
When I was a freshman in college, my beloved Grandfather had a massive coronary, and was gone in less then ten minutes, at the age of seventy.  Our whole family was devastated.

At the time, I was going to college in upstate New York, and my Grandparents were living in Florida.  Everyone in our extended family was concerned with how my Grandmother would, “carry on” as they say, since all of her family was still living in New England.  I knew right then what I wanted to do and decided to transfer in the fall to a college only a few miles away from my Grandmother’s home.  It seemed foolish to me, to live on campus, when my Gram was only a few miles away, now living alone.  So that is how it came to be, that  I lived with my Gram while I finished my 2 1/2 years of college (I graduated early – what can I say? Gram taught me to be an overachiever!) Most people would think that would be a real drag for a college student, but honestly, I loved it. I learned so much from her in those college years – perhaps more than in any class I took.  When we had time, she’d share special things with me – old photos,  little trinkets,  stories of her youth, we’d watch old movies, and when the heroine fell in love with the hero, she’d tell me the story of how she met my Grampy again.  Sometimes, we’d cook her favorite recipes together.

She’s been gone for  3 1/2 years and not a day goes by that I don’t think of her… miss her… wonder what she’d think of Ethan now (she met him only once at about 5 months old)… wonder what she’d think of my spunky little girl…
SNIFF!
Ah, I can’t help but tear up as I type… truth be told, I’ve been working on this post for well over two weeks… some emotions stay raw for so long – even after we think we’re “ok.”
Ok, down to business!

Today I’m sharing with you one of my all-time favorite recipes from my Gram. I enjoy making it for my family now.  It’s become one of Ethan’s favorites as well, and I think she would get a kick out of that!Gram use to say that it was perfect because it ‘frosted itself’.  You’ll see what she meant…

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Shopping List:

  • butter
  • vegetable oil
  • granulated sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • buttermilk
  • all-purpose flour
  • eggs
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • cocoa powder
  • cinnamon
  • zucchini
  • chocolate chips

Items You May Also Need:

Some of the items below contain affiliate links; I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, I only promote things that I love and think you will love, too.  For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

  • Stand Mixer
  • 9×13 baking pan

For a list of some of my favorite items to use when cooking, and why I chose them, please visit my Kitchen Resource page.

Gram’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups zucchini, grated
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits, if desired

Instructions:

Grease and flour a 9×13 pan, then preheat oven to 350-degrees F.  Soften butter in the microwave.

Crack and gently whisk eggs into a separate bowl. Do not beat. Mix together all the other ingredients, except for the chocolate bits.
Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  This is Ethan’s favorite part, and he always sneaks some of the bits as he sprinkles!
Recommend baking method: For a  dark coated pan, bake 30-35 minutes at 350-degrees F until toothpick comes out clean.
Alternatively, for a clear baking dish, bake 40-45 minutes in a 325-degree F oven until tester comes out clean.
And just as Gram said, this is a perfect snack cake that requires  no frosting because of the chocolate bits (Gram would sometimes add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, too), it is delicious with a little whipped cream.

Grammy’s Tips for Perfect Chocolate Zucchini Cake

  • ‘Always remember to use pure vanilla, it makes a difference!‘… maybe it’s “pure emotion,” not “pure vanilla,” flavoring my love for this cake… yes, Gram, it’s still perfection!
  • If you’re a little light on the zucchini, grate up some carrot to get to the full 2 cups.
  • Here’s a quick buttermilk substitute… just add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice to the milk and let is stand five minutes before adding it to your cake mixture.
I hope you can share this with the special people in your lives soon. And friends, take a moment to tell those you love how much they mean to you.  Time is fleeting.
The two most important women in my life: My Mom and My Gram

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. sheila goss says

    May 27, 2014 at 8:35 am

    Love the memories and story you shared with this recipe. Plan to make it when our zucchini comes in

    Reply

    • Ang Paris says

      June 15, 2014 at 9:42 am

      Thank you so much, Sheila! This is one of my most treasured recipes 🙂 Be sure to come back after you make it and let me know what you think 🙂

      Reply

  6. Happysuz says

    October 1, 2014 at 9:24 am

    What a wonderful remembering of your grandparents! Their home sounds like a little bit of heaven. I can’t wait to try the recipe. Happy SITS Day!

    Reply

  7. Elizabeth says

    October 1, 2014 at 11:24 am

    What a sweet remembrance of your gram and an yummy recipe. I have fond memories of my grandmother as well. She was always in the kitchen making something yummy. Thank you for sharing with us. Happy SITS!

    Reply

  12. Julie says

    July 25, 2015 at 10:28 am

    This post is so lovely and I’ve just made your lovely cake as we are awash with courgettes/zucchini, I wondered how long you leave in the pan to cool or do you take it out straight away and leave to cool on a rack? It looks really good, by the way!

    Reply

  13. Samantha says

    August 22, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    I found your recipe when searching on Pinterest! It was easy, and I liked reading about the story of your gram. I am a fellow Mainer! The only “criticism” I have is that my cake took 45 minutes on 325 degrees, and then another 25 minutes at 350 degrees. My oven has never really been that far off, but I haven’t checked the temperature inside in a while. I haven’t tasted the cake yet because it’s for the neighbors but hopefully it’s good!

    Reply

    • Ang Paris says

      August 25, 2018 at 11:16 am

      Thanks for your note Samantha! We’ve tested the recipe again and found that baking it at 350-degrees F for 30-35 minutes should yield a delicious moist cake!

      Reply

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