Taste of Home’s Zucchini Cake

I am FAMOUS for my zucchini bread..however, when I am serving it to a first time zucchini bread eater...I just call it "sweet bread", until they tell me how absolutely delicious it is and couldn't possible go on without another slice!!!

I don't know why people have a phobia of zucchini. Personally, I don't think it really has a taste at all...I think people get freaked out because it starts with a "Z" and it's green....here's a great recipe from Taste of Home to turn their opinion around....easy and yummy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and oil until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine milk and buttermilk. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to batter alternately with milk mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in zucchini.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 15 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece (calculated without confectioners' sugar) equals 341 calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 46 mg cholesterol, 248 mg sodium, 45 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Zucchini Chocolate Cake published in Country Extra September 2010, p46