Saturday, August 23, 2008

Zucchini Season is Upon Us

Recipe
Zucchini Spice Cake

I know many people this time of year who are all in the same boat...and that boat is sinking under the weight of all the zucchini they're pulling in from their garden. We don't have a garden full of zucchini at our house, but we take full advantage of the season by loading up at the farmer's market and happily taking some off the hands of our beleaguered friends and family members. We've had lots of Balsamic Zucchini, and this weekend I'm making a pot of Creamy Vegetable Chowder, so I wanted to make sure I balanced out all the savory zucchini recipes with something a bit sweeter. That's where this wonderful spice cake comes in. I got the recipe from Diana's Desserts, a website with lots of mouth-watering recipes that I can't wait to try. I wouldn't have really considered myself a fan of spice cake before this, but I think that's most likely because the only spice cake I've ever had has been from a packaged cake mix. Let me tell you, this zucchini cake is much, much better than a box of spice cake mix. Made with simple ingredients, it's the cinnamon and cloves added to the batter that gives this cake it's wonderful flavor. Shredded zucchini lends moisture and a bit of righteous virtue to the recipe (hey, you're eating vegetables!) and the simple frosting, with a generous pinch of cloves, is the perfect finishing touch. If your vegetable drawer is weighted down with pounds upon pounds of zucchini, this is one of many delicious ways to start clearing it out...you know, to make room for more.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was surprised that this is SO good...despite the fact that veggies are in a cake!! It does make me wonder what else you sneak into the treats I LOVE so much!! :)

Elisabeth said...

Ha! I was so glad you liked these even AFTER I told you what was in them! :)

Anonymous said...

Yum! These have the perfect amount of sweetness for dessert without being feeling to unhealthy.

Elisabeth said...

Anna, they really do - they're almost like carrot cake, I think.