Chocolate Zucchini Banana Nut Cake

Today we had a potluck party at a friend’s place. Potluck parties are a great way for friends to get together for a party, without putting a lot of stress or expense on the one person hosting the event and the responsibility for food and beverages are shared. These potluck parties are a great celebration and the best places to admire the efforts of our friends, many of whom are talented cooks, bakers, and seekers of good food around the city.

I thought of making up some unique and creative desserts for the party. Opened my fridge to check out the ingredients available at home and saw some fresh Zucchini and bananas, that’s the time when this idea to make delicious yummy healthy Zucchini chocolaty cake came to my mind. I decided to make it eggless as few of my friends don’t eat eggs. I always prefer to make desserts healthier like by adding vegetables or fruits to it or by substituting all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

My friends and the kids loved the cake. Try this Chocolate Zucchini Banana Nut Cake recipe at one of your potluck parties or evening get-together. Make sure to use ripe bananas.

Chocolate Zucchini Banana Nut Cake Recipe

INSTRUCTIONS

Chocolate Zucchini cake

• 1 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 1 cup zucchini peeled and finely shredded
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 cup Cooking oil

Banana Nut Cake

1 cup All-Purpose flour
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Cooking oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup Banana mashed ( 2 medium bananas)
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup Walnuts Chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Chocolate Ganache

2/3 cup Heavy Whipping cream
6 oz. Baking chocolate chips

Chocolate Zucchini Banana Nut cake

1. Preheat oven to 350° F . Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 8 X 8 inch or 2 qt. baking pan and set aside.
2. For the Banana Nut Cake layer : In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and . Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl stir in mashed smooth banana, sugar, oil and milk. Add banana mixture to flour mixture all at once; stir just until moistened. Fold in walnuts.
4. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and set aside.
5. For the Chocolate Zucchini layer: In a medium bowl stir in shredded Zucchini, sugar, oil and milk. Add banana mixture to flour mixture all at once; stir just until moistened.
6. In the prepared baking dish, Spread the Banana nut batter evenly and above that spread the Chocolate Zucchini Batter. With a knife make folds in it .

• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centres comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Ganache

1. In 1 quart saucepan, heat whipping cream over low heat until hot but not boiling. Stir in Chocolate chips until melted; let stand at room temperature for 20-25 minutes. Ganache is ready to use when it mounds slightly when dropped from spoon. Pour the ganache carefully onto top centre of cake., spread with large spatula so it flows evenly over top and starts to drip down sides of cake. Let ganache set before cutting . You can sprinkle some shredded white chocolate over the centre to decorate it.