Chai Zucchini Cake

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I think I say this every darn year, but I am in total zucchini overload. It’s nearly the stuff of nightmares. Just when I think I’ve caught up, I go out to the garden and harvest three new hulking-sized fruits. Yes, technically, zucchini is a fruit.

So, as per usual, I am feverishly working zucchini into every recipe I possibly can and then some. Savory to sweet, I’m making it all. It must have been kismet because a packet of instant chai and a sack of grape seed + wheat flour from this month’s Degustabox put me on the path to devising a deliciously moist zucchini cake.

I had never heard of White Lily Wheat + White Grape Seed Flour. So, I did a little research. This flour is a blend of chardonnay grape seeds and wheat flours sourced from the US. Interestingly, the wheat in each package can be traced to the farmers who grew it. I think that’s pretty cool.

Nearly all the seasoning and in fact nearly all the sweetness for the cake comes from a single packet of Oregon Chai Original. To be honest, a packet of this stuff contains a ton of sugar, more sugar than I would want to consume in a simple cup of tea. However, with a little creativity, I discovered it works nicely for baking. Chances are I’ll develop a 100% “from-scratch” version of this recipe that swaps out the packet. But, that’s a post for another day. In the meantime, the instant chai makes for a nice shortcut.

I originally did a version of this recipe without the glaze for the top. It was good but not quite right. I liked that it was dense, but it was too crumbly. By adding a light glaze on top of the cake just after it came out of the oven, it gave it just a touch more sweetness and the moisture that I was looking for. The end result is a dense, lightly sweet, moist cake, that I think is perfect for brunch or breakfast.

Chai Zucchini Cake

Makes 9 pieces

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup White Lily Wheat+ White Grape Seed Flour
  • 1 instant packet Oregon Chai Original
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 cups grated zucchini

Glaze

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, chai packet, baking powder and baking soda.
  4. In another bowl whisk together the egg, milk and coconut oil. Slowly stir in the grated zucchini.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined.
  6. Pour into greased baking dish. Be sure batter is evenly distributed.
  7. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Remove from oven and let cool.
  9. While the cake cools, make the glaze.
  10. In a small bowl whisk together the coconut oil, milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and honey.
  11. Immediately pour over slightly cooled cake. Make sure glaze evenly coats entire cake.
  12. Let cake cool completely.
  13. Cut into pieces and serve room temperature.

NOTE: The cake is best eaten right away, but you can store it an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yum

Photos by Renato Ghio

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