You Won't Know it's Kinda Healthy Chocolate Cake

It's the lovely time of year when zucchini seems to take over the earth and frankly, I have never really understood the phenomenon. Everyone I know is always trying to get rid of their zucchini, so why don't they just plant less? I don't get it, but in the mean time, here is a great recipe to make the green stuff a little more palatable.






Dense, chocolatey, and deliciously moist, this cake boasts two cups of zucchini and 100% whole wheat flour. It definitely becomes more fabulous if you let it ripen for a day, so if you can make it in advance, do so. My kids are crazy about it and it doesn't taste like it's healthy (you know, as far as desserts go), which gives anything high marks in my book. Even my vegetable-phobic dad ate a few helpings and was stunned to discover the wholesome ingredients. So if you have oodles of zucchini on your hands, grab that green garden monster and bake up some goodness!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 cup skim milk
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 T vanilla
2 cups peeled and grated zucchini
Powdered sugar for dusting

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oil, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix. Incorporate milk and mix well. Melt chocolate in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring between each, just until melted. Blend chocolate and vanilla into batter and fold in zucchini. Pour mixture into a sprayed 9x13" baking dish and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Serve as is, with sliced strawberries, or some great ice cream. You won't be disappointed!