Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 1/2 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup soft butter
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• Glaze, directions follow
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Put the shredded zucchini in a sieve set over a bowl so it can drain. If it is not releasing any liquid and seems dry to the touch, sprinkle it with a little water, then leave it to shed the extra moisture.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon with some energy until everything is evenly combined. Set the bowl aside.
3. Using a mixer, cream the butter with both sugars until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg goes in. Switch to a wooden spoon, then stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zucchini.
4. Add the dry mixture and the milk to the zucchini mixture in alternating additions, stirring as you go. Fold in the nuts with the final addition.
5. Lightly coat the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan or tube pan with cooking spray, or grease it with butter, then wipe away any extra. Add the batter to the pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 50-55 minutes, checking at 45 min. The cake is ready when a wooden pick pushed into the center comes out clean.
7. Leave the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack and let it cool completely. For the glaze, stir the glaze ingredients together with a whisk or spoon. If it looks too loose, mix in more powdered sugar; if it is too stiff, loosen it with more milk.
8. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Slice thinly to serve.