Summer Squash Conundrum

What to do with all those zucchini?  I say, "Let them eat cake."  Chocolate cake, to be exact.  I have found no better use for an excess of zucchini than Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  It is so moist, and so delicious, most folks would never guess that it's filled with squash.  It's definitely right up there with the best of the comfort food. It also freezes well.  It really doesn't need any kind of icing, perhaps just a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar.  I love taking a loaf of Chocolate Zucchini Cake out of the freezer in the middle of winter.  Already baked, still moist and yummy.  It's like a  little prize for suffering through all those gray cold days.

Given the strange weather we experienced this summer, we did not have an over abundance of summer squash.  I try to keep up with the plants by picking the squash while they are still very small and we were able to eat most of our harvest as we went.  We did give some to friends and deliver a few to the local senior center, but we have not had piles of squash on every surface of the kitchen.  That said, I have been able to score a couple of oversized squash for chocolate cake.  My challenge this year has been to search out new recipes, and analyze my old ones in an effort to make a cake that is lower in fat.  After a little trial and error, I've come up with a good one.  It is pictured above adorned with the last of our summer raspberries and a little vanilla yogurt.  Very nice.  The low fat part of this recipe (actually there is fat, but it's good fat), comes from using oil along with just a touch of butter for flavor.

Susan's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup canola or olive oil
1 tbsp softened butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated orange peel (optional)
2 - 2 1/2 cups grated summer squash
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Set oven at 350F. In a large bowl, stir together and set aside flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Beat together the oil and sugar until light, add softened butter, eggs, and vanilla, and orange peel - beating after each addition. Stir in grated squash.  Add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk.  Stir in walnuts.  This recipe makes enough for one tube or bundt pan or two loaf pans.  I usually make it in loaf pans because they store so well in the freezer.  Bake for about 45 - 50 minutes, until done in the center.  Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack.  Enjoy!