Vegan Chocolate-Zucchini Bunt Cake

Have you noticed a trend here?

Chocolate. Chocolate is prevalent in most sweets I make.  As Isa Moskowitz wisely says in my favorite vegan cookbook, Isa Does It, how do people know that it is chocolate that mimics feelings of love? Perhaps its love that mimics the feeling of eating chocolate. I think the latter is correct…

With all that chocolate, the zucchini is hardly noticeable. But, there is just enough in the cake to make you feel better about eating said piece of cake.  This is the kind that will have you sneaking little bites throughout the day, letting the morsels melt in your mouth. Its vegan too, so no harm can be done, right?

-This recipe is slightly adapted from the one in the cookbook Isa Does It –

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup almond milk (room temp.)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil + extra to grease

1 tbs. vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

3/4 cup chocolate chips/chunks

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and generously grease a 12-cup bunt pan. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt. Then add the sugar and mix well. Making a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the apple sauce, milk, oil, and vanilla. Use a whisk to mix the liquids together in the well, then incorporate it into the dry mixture. Once incorporated well, fold in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into the bunt cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes. The cake will be denser and less dry then most, so a knife in the middle should come out only somewhat clean. Let it cool for 10+ minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack until the cake is completely cooled.

P.S.- Bet you guys did not notice in the photos, but when inverting the cake, only half came out! This was the first time I’ve made a bunt cake, so next time, I’ll use more oil. If the same happens to you, don’t be discouraged- its the taste that counts! Oh, and don’t mind the eaten piece…