Chocolate Zucchini Cake

A great use for that zucchini you can never get rid of.

1/2 C margarine
1/2 C oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C sour milk
1 tsp salt
4 Tblsp cocoa
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
2 C grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream together the margarine, oil, and sugar. Add the remaining ingredients except the zucchini and beat until mixed. Stir in the zucchini. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. You can sprinkle the top with nut and chocolate chips or use chocolate frosting after baking. Bake 40-45 minutes. ENJOY!!!!

Why use zucchini in baking????

The biggest advantage is moisture. The flesh of the zucchini is mostly water. When you shred it and put it in batter, it retains its moisture in the finished product. Therefore, you have moist cake.

Why not use additional water????

Adding water to the batter only makes the batter runny. This type of batter will not hold the expanding carbon dioxide, CO2, and steam bubbles very well. The gasses will bubble out the top before the batter can set up, resulting in a very poor rise. The zucchini holds tightly to its water through mixing and baking which results in a very moist product.

Also, zucchini has a fair amount of vitamin A and potassium which our body needs. It also contains a good deal of manganese which increases the body's metabolism. Zucchini is also an anti-oxidant.