Even food bloggers have little kitchen disasters.  :)

Recently on a day off, I decided to make a recipe I have been wanting to try forever — s’mores pie.  Love s’mores.  Love pie.  Brilliant idea.  Right?

Well, I made the chocolate part of the pie, which was a breeze (and ridiculously delicious when I sampled the batter).  Then afterwards I laid out all of the marshmallows beautifully on top, and stuck the pie under the broiler tand set the timer for the allotted two minutes to give them that golden “toasted” look.  After about 45 seconds though, I turned around to take a peek at the pie and saw flames!  HUGE flames!

You know how when you stand over a campfire a marshmallow can go from soft and white to a flaming fireball in a matter of seconds?  Yeah, multiply that by about 20!  The entire pie was engulfed!!  My roommate happened to be in the kitchen at the time, and after we both stood frozen for a second in disbelief, she ran for the fire extinguisher, and I ended up filling up the mixing bowl quickly with water and then dousing the entire oven!  Thankfully, the fire went out right away, but the house smelled like a campfire (for at least a day) and the pie was…well…you’ll have to see the picture below.

Of course my roommate’s husband returned home an hour later, excited about the pie we had promised him, and I sadly apologized for the charred mess.  To which, without missing a beat, he immediately asks if the chocolate part was still ok.  I told him I imagined it was, but there was at least an inch of charred-to-a-crisp marshmallow layer on top!  He responded that we girls must have “never lived in a frat house”.  So sure enough, being the surgeon (and guy!) that he is, he spent the next ten minutes carefully flaking off the top layer until the beautiful chocolate part shone through.  He then topped it with some new marshmallows, and voila — not only was it salvaged, it was incredible!!!

I did end up making another round of the pie to photograph all lovely and golden for you all, of course watching it like a hawk this time under the broiler!  (It definitely can be done successfully, although you can also just bake it or use a kitchen torch.)  And it was fantastic.  All of that rich chocolate, the graham cracker crust, and toasted (not charred!) marshmallows made for the perfect dessert that’s a definite crowd-pleaser.

Live and learn!  And then eat pie.  :)

S’mores Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 20-30 large marshmallows

Method:

To Make Crust:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until evenly coated. Press mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

To Make Pie:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream and milk. Warm over medium-low heat. Add in chocolate and stir until chocolate has completely melted and is smooth. Slowly add in vanilla and whisked eggs, and whisk until smooth.

Pour chocolate filling into baked pie crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chocolate filling is set and does not jiggle when pie is lightly shaken. Remove from oven.

Using a kitchen shears or a knife, cut marshmallows in half. Place halves in concentric circles over the top of the pie until covered.

Lower oven rack to the middle position, and set oven to the lowest broil setting. Place pie on the rack and lightly toast the marshmallows.  (I recommend pulling them out the second you see them beginning to turn slightly golden.)  You can also use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows instead.

Chill pie in the refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours.  Or it can also be served slightly warm.  Drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

To give your graham cracker crusts an extra kick, I recommend using the cinnamon graham crackers.  A little extra flavor, and a little extra sweet!

Source:

Slightly adapted from The Pastry Affair

And a glimpse into Round One…

‘Tis the season for Christmas parties galore!  I somehow had three booked on my calendar this weekend (a lot for this introvert!).  But great friends make for great parties, and they were a blast!  Love this season.

Of course, I couldn’t show up empty-handed.  So decided to combine my gingerbread-love with a little OCD-cupcake decorating.  (I had an extra 10 minutes to kill, so the sprinkles are a little more evenly-spaced than usual.  I know.)  And voila — these adorable little gingerbread cupcakes with some to-die-for molasses cream cheese frosting were born.

Honestly, I was kind of just looking for an excuse to use those adorable gingerbread sprinkles I received last year as a gift.  :)

But the cupcakes turned out great!  Loved the spiced cupcake and sweet frosting pairing, and the fact that the entire project used nearly an entire jar of molasses.  My kind of recipe!   My friends also gave it the thumbs up.  So, especially since I still have some more sprinkles, will definitely be making these again soon!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

Gingerbread Cupcake Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 (8 Tbsp.) stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 12 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 1/2 cups water

Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 lb (2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsulfered
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Method:

To Make Gingerbread Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a medium bowl.

Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses in a large bowl until blended. Add some of the water to batter then some of the dry ingredients to the batter. Continue alternating with the water and flour until everything is added and smooth.

Fill each paper liner with 1/3 cup of the batter, about 1/4-inch below the top of the liner.

Place into preheated oven and bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.  Frost with molasses cream cheese frosting.

To Make Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute.  Mix in the molasses and vanilla extract.  Gradually add in powdered sugar to reach desired frosting thickness, beating until smooth.

Ali’s Tip:

These would also be good with crystallized ginger mixed in!  Just substitute 1/3 cup crystallized ginger in place of the ground ginger in the cupcakes.

Source:

Cupcake recipe adapted from Bobbie Flay.

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the month — book club!!!

Since it was a cold day in December, and we were discussing Steinbeck, and…ok I really was just looking for a reason to buy some Nutella…I decided to improvise this little cheeseball to bring along.

I’ll warn you now.

You’ll love it because it takes only minutes to prepare and calls for 2-3 ingredients.  They’ll love it simply because you say the word “Nutella”, and then after they take a bite.  You will all love it because it’s Nutalla-licious.

I’m pretty sure you should give it a try.

Nutella Cheeseball Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 (13 oz.) Nutella
• 2 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk or beat together cream cheese and Nutella until blended.

Spoon the mixture into the center a piece of plastic wrap.  Lift up the edges of the corners of the plastic wrap so that the mixture is completely enclosed, then carefully mold into your desired shape (likely a ball!).  Don’t worry about getting it perfectly shaped.  Then freeze the ball for at least 1-2 hours.

Remove the ball, and continue shaping into your preferred shape.  Unwrap the ball, and place on a serving plate.  Then garnish with chocolate chips if you would like.

Serve with crackers, cookies, pretzels, apples, bananas, or whatever sounds good!

Ali’s Tip:

This would also be delicious with some chopped nuts or coconut mixed in!

Who loves white chocolate mochas???

(I do!  I do!)

Now that winter seems to have officially arrived in Kansas City, I absolutely love ordering white chocolate mochas to warm up on chilly days.  There’s something about that smooth white chocolate that is always so wonderfully comforting.

So when I had a cupcake craving this week, it’s no surprise what inspiration came to mind!  A few hours later, I had a batch of simple mocha cupcakes topped with a (well, not quite as simple) white chocolate whipped cream frosting.  Needless to say, they completely hit the spot.  So delicious, and I loved the lightness of the whipped cream “frosting” instead of a heavier cream cheese or butter cream.  Definitely apropos for a drink-inspired-cupcake.  :)

Cheers to favorite winter drinks and cupcakes!

White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Mocha Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso granules

Frosting Ingredients:

• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

Method:

To Make The Mocha Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Add the 1 ½ teaspoons of espresso granules to the cup of hot coffee and stir to combine. With mixer still on low, add in the coffee/espresso mixture and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  The batter will be really runny, but don’t worry!

Using a large scoop (about 3 tablespoons), distribute the batter into the prepared muffin tins.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then remove them onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  Top with the white chocolate whipped cream frosting, and either serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 48 hours.

To Make The White Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting:

Place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Melt, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  When the chocolate is fully melted, move the bowl to a work surface and pour in the hot cream.  Let stand for 1 minute.  Stir gently until the cream is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.  Let the chocolate/cream mixture stand until it is completely cool.  The mixture must be at room temperature before it is added to the whipped cream.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream only until it holds the softest peaks. With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Once cooled, frost cupcakes as desired.

Ali’s Tip:

If you are going to be serving these in the evening, I’d recommend using decaf coffee and espresso powder!

Source:

Cake recipe slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction.  Frosting recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats.

A few weeks ago for a choir potluck, my friend Emily made these rockin’ pumpkin bars.  I took a few home, but of course they promptly disappeared.  So a week later, I decided to make a batch of my own!

I thought about making a more creative frosting, but some classics are meant to be untouched.  So behold — a simple recipe for classic pumpkin bars (or cake!), topped with some decadent cream cheese frosting.  They are super-simple, and if you’d like, you can even substitute in white whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose.  I tried it and mine were still wonderfully moist.

Definitely a great recipe for a pumpkin craving…and always a crowd pleaser!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Bars Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, storebought or homemade
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Optional Toppings:

• toasted walnuts or pecans (whole or chopped)
• additional sifted powdered sugar

Method:

To Make Pumpkin Bars:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin on medium speed until light and fluffy.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Spread the batter into the prepared 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.  Top with nuts or additional sifted powdered sugar if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to also mix in 2/3 cup of your favorite chopped nuts into the batter as well!

Source:

Adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen, originally from Paula Dean.

So the trend around the blogosphere this fall seems to be pumpkin pie…frosting!

Yep, that’s right.  You literally take a perfect pumpkin pie and pipe it onto your cake of choice.  Brilliant?  I decided I would have to give it a try to find out.

I had been wanting to try a cinnamon cheesecake recipe for awhile, so this seemed like the perfect pairing.  Mixed up a batch of cute little mini cheesecakes, complete with my favorite gingersnap crust, and then made a crustless pumpkin pie to serve as the icing on top.

I have to admit…I had to give myself a pep talk before plunging a spoon into the middle of a perfectly gorgeous pumpkin pie to scoop it into a not-so-gorgeous piping bag.  But sure enough, the end result was quite cute and ridiculously delicious.  I’m a big fan of all things pumpkin and cinnamon, so this was a definite winner in my book.  I will warn you that it takes a little extra time to make both the cheesecake and pumpkin pie recipes, but well worth it.

Cheers to blogosphere fads!

Cinnamon Mini-Cheesecakes with Pumpkin Pie Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

Gingersnap Crust:

• 1 cup gingersnap cookie (or graham cracker) crumbs
• 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter; melted
• pinch of salt

Cheesecake:

• 2 bars of cream cheese (8 oz each), room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Pie “Frosting” (**recommend cooking this first**):

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

To Make Gingersnap Crust:

Prepare 12 baking cups with paper liners, or grease with cooking spray.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the three crust ingredients until well blended.  Scoop 1 packed tablespoon of crust into each baking cup, and press down to pack firm.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and set aside.

To Make Cinnamon Cheesecakes:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Begin to boil a large kettle or pot of water for the water bath.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and sugar, then mix on medium-speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon, and mix until smooth.  Do not overmix.  Pour batter into each crust-prepared baking cup until 3/4 full.

Once your kettle or pot of water is boiling, carefully place a large baking dish on the lower rack of your oven and pull the rack out a few inches towards you, and then pour the water into it.  (Or use your best judgment on how to do this without burning yourself.  I just heat the water in a kettle, which is very easy to pour into the pan.)  This will create a water bath that will give off lots of steam while the cheesecake bakes.

Then place the cheesecake pan in the oven, and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges appear to be set and the center still has a slight jiggle to it.  Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly for 5 minutes.  Then remove the pan and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled.  Top with pumpkin pie frosting.

To Make Pumpkin Pie Frosting:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well blended.  Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.  Remove and let cool, then refrigerate.

When ready to “frost” the cheesecakes, remove the pumpkin pie and spoon the filling into a piping bag.  Use as you would regular frosting.

Ali’s Tip:

To make most quickly, first cook the pumpkin pie, then the gingersnap crust, then the cheesecakes.

Source:

Basic cheesecake recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction.

Look out.  I’m warning you right now that this recipe is addictive…

My roommate, Christin, introduced me to these bars last week.  I was just finishing a 12-hour day of work around 9pm and found a text from her inviting me to try these “new apple bars” when I got home.  Never one to turn down homemade dessert, and super-hungry after a long day, I immediately grabbed one when I walked in the door.  And oh my word.  Looking at the recipe beforehand, I was expecting good.  These were great!!! They are are everything a sweet, fruity, cinnamony, chewy bar should be.

Pretty sure I immediately made a second batch to bring to a choir potluck last night.  Although this time I substituted in white whole wheat flour and added in some nutmeg, and loved the result!  Definitely a great quick, delicious, and crowd-pleasing recipe to keep on file.  I’m pretty sure it will be reappearing in my kitchen again verrrrry soon.  :)

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bars Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole-wheat flour)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Golden Delicious apple, diced into 1/4″ cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmg and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, blend together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla for 3 minutes or until smooth.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; mix for 2 minutes or until just incorporated. Stir in diced apples, raisins and (optional) nuts, and spread into prepared pan.

Bake at 350F degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars and serving.

Ali’s Tip:

This would also be delicious using pears instead of apples!

Source:

Adapted from Family Circle.

Last weekend, I took a trip with my lovely book club girls….camping!

That’s right!  A bunch of city girls road tripped it to spend a 40-degree evening together snuggled up on the banks of Clinton Lake.  And oh my goodness.  Amongst the many highlights of the evening and beautiful foggy morning (Enneagram lectures, Patty-Griffin-turned-retro-Jennifer-Knapp-and-Rich-Mullins singalongs, time with two sweet book club dogs, to endless conversations and laughter)…I must say that a group favorite was our gourmet “meal plan”.

From delicious roasted veggie and potato hobo packs, to warm bison vegetable stew, to s’mores, to homemade cinnamon rolls, to warm “oatmeal supreme”, to warm cornbread made in an oven constructed from a box, hangers, aluminum foil, and coals (credits to our #5, Amanda), to a book-club-worthy selection of wines, coffees and chai, I think it’s safe to say these girls love food as much as they love books.  Fabulous!

One of my contributions, in addition to my favorite party mix, was a batch of these “caramel apple cider cookies”.  They have been quite the hit of the blogosphere lately, and this seemed like the perfect autumn occasion to give them a try.  Needless to say, you should too.  I will warn you that they take a little while to prep, but they are filled with all of the nostalgic apple-cidery, melted-caramel goodness they promise.  Highly recommend giving them a try.

Cheers to heart-warming autumn recipes, camping trips, and good friends!

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (*not sugar free*)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels, unwrapped

Method:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or a silpat.  (The melted caramel may stick to the bottom if you just use cooking spray on a plain baking sheet.)

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.  With an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut (about 2 tablespoons).  Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Shape the dough into a ball, and place on parchment covered cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Once the cookies are done, carefully slide the parchment or silpat off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter.  Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment/silpat. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment/silpat or on a rack).

Yield: Approximately 4 dozen, depending on the size of your dough.

Ali’s Tip:

If you want an extra chocolate kick in these, you can substitute Milk Duds for caramels.

Source:

Slightly adapted from The Cooking Photographer, via Scrambled Henfruit.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, plus one yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup granola
• 1 cup M&M’s (whatever kind you like)
• 1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined.  Set aside.

Using an electric mixer (with a separate bowl), cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar together with a mixer on medium speed until combined.  Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating between each addition.  Then add vanilla and milk, and continue beating.  Gradually add the dry ingredients until combined.  Stir in granola, M&Ms and chocolate chips until well blended.  Chill dough for at least an hour before you bake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Shape dough into small balls, and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until slightly golden.

Ali’s Tip:

Feel free to also add in any of your favorite nuts in these as well!

Source: My friend, Christin!

Of course I couldn’t let “Zucchini Week” go by without making some dessert!  So allow me to present to you….a (healthier!) chocolate zucchini cake!!!

This recipe is kudos to one of my favorite bloggers — Jen from My Baking Addiction.  I was looking for a recipe that used white whole wheat flour (my favorite for baking), as well as something a little on the healthier side.  Sure enough, Jen’s showed up at the top of my search, and it’s even made with olive oil, mostly brown sugar, and two whole cups of shredded zucchini!  Perfect!!

Not surprisingly, the cake ended up being a great success.  I will admit that it’s not overly sweet, so may taste a tad bit on the “healthy” side for some.  But it’s still very delicious on its own!  Since I happen to be addicted to making glazes for bundt cakes, I went ahead and topped mine with a super-yummy dark chocolate glaze (and ahem, thus cancelled out most of the health benefits of the cake).  So tasty.

Definitely a delicious recipe and a fun way to sneak a ton of veg into a favorite dessert.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

To Make Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan, and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and olive oil.  Add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini. Add the dry ingredients, stirring until they are just incorporated and evenly moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan, and bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (or with just a few wet crumbs). Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then, invert the cake onto wire rack to cool completely. Top with the chocolate glaze, or dust with powdered sugar before serving.

To Make Chocolate Glaze:

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together over medium low heat, stirring continually. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Let cool 1-2 minutes, then serve warm.

Ali’s Tip: Be sure not to drain/strain the moisture out of the zucchini for this recipe!  Many baking recipes have you try and take out the zucchini’s moisture before add it in with other ingredients, but cakes rely on it (in place of extra oil) to keep the cake nice and moist.  :)

Source: Cake recipe adapted from My Kitchen Addiction.