This cake has a subtle hint of orange that elevates a simple zucchini cake to another level. The cream cheese frosting will go well with many other cakes.
Servings: 12-16 pieces
Author: Mary Gillespie
Ingredients
Cake
1egg
1/4cupsour cream
1/4cuporange juice
1/4cupvegetable oil
1/2teaspoonvanilla
2teaspoonsgrated orange rind
1cupgrated zucchinifresh or frozen, thawed and drained
1-1/4cupsflour
3/4cupgranulated sugar
1/3cupcocoa powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
Frosting
3/4cupchopped milk chocolate or chocolate chips
1/3cupwhipping cream
1tablespoongrated orange rind
6oz.cream cheese3/4 of a large brick, softened
1/2cupicing sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
Cake
In medium mixing bowl, beat egg, sour cream, orange juice, oil, vanilla, 2 teaspoons orange rind and grated zucchini. Mix until thoroughly blended.
In separate bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the zucchini mixture to the flour mixture, and stir gently until all the flour is moistened and no white streaks of flour are visible. The batter will be a bit thick (it is not a runny batter).
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
Let cake cool completely before frosting. While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting.
Frosting
Place chocolate in a small bowl.
In separate bowl or measuring cup, combine whipping cream and the 1 tablespoon of grated rind.
Let cream and rind sit for at least 5 minutes to allow orange rind to infuse the cream.
Heat cream to boiling point in microwave or in small pot on stovetop. If using microwave, heat for approximately 45 seconds, watching carefully to ensure that the cream doesn't boil over. If heating on stovetop, heat just until bubbles appear around the edges of the pan.
Pour cream through a small strainer over chocolate, and let cream and chocolate sit for 5 minutes to give chocolate time to melt.
While chocolate is melting, beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth.
Stir the chocolate mixture until it becomes smooth and glossy. If it is lumpy or difficult to stir, heat for 30 seconds in the microwave (or sit the small bowl in a larger bowl of hot water, being careful not to get any water in the chocolate). Stir after removing from the heat. Let cool and beat into the cream cheese until smooth and thoroughly blended.
Let frosting rest until the cake is cooled, then spread over cake.
Recipe Notes
If you use semi-sweet instead of milk chocolate, increase the whipping cream to 1/2 a cup.