Zucchini camouflaged as a sinful fudgy and chocolaty dessert. Best of all, it’s a one-bowl recipe and very easy.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
Chocolate Bars
- 4 oz (115 g) soft unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (75 g) Dutch cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 3 cups (450 g) shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup (90 g) good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (60-70% cocoa)
Ganache
- 1/2 cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate (60-70% cocoa) broken into small pieces
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp rum (optional)
Preparation:
Place the shredded zucchini on a sieve over a bowl to drain while you prepare the rest.
Grease and flour a 9x13x2 inches (33x23x5 cm) baking pan. Cut wide strips of parchment paper and lay them across the baking pan leaving some overhanging on the sides. Butter and flour them too. The strips will help you remove the cake from the pan when ready. Set aside.
Preheat oven 325° F/160° C .
Beat soft butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Add the Greek yogurt, alternating it with the flour. Add Dutch cocoa and mix it again until smooth. Fold in the shredded zucchini and the chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake it for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs attached to it. Do not over bake. Let it cool for about 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and applying the ganache.
While the cake is cooling place the chocolate pieces in a bowl and microwave it until it is melted. Remove it from the microwave, let it cool 1-2 minutes and add the butter. Beat until shiny and smooth. Add the cream and rum (optional). Beat again until well combined. If the ganache seems too liquid for spreading place it in the fridge for a couple of minutes to firm up a bit. Use a spatula for spreading the ganache over the cake and let it cool completely before cutting into squares.
Serve with a dollop of cream on the side.
