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