Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 9

Zucchini Bundt

I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 9

Hello! Do you have some great neighbors with a green thumb? Do they leave fresh tomatoes on your doorstep every summer?

And do they leave boatloads of zucchini on your porch and run? Oh, zucchini. I love you, but I know that sometimes you go and multiply for gardeners. If you do get some zucchini, make this bundt from The Kitchn (love this website!)

I added some chocolate chips and ganache to the bundt, but it is lovely as is too. Since zucchini can be a watery veggie, you squeeze out as much water as possible before adding it to your batter. Great tip!

Of course, you can enjoy this plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Or...

...you can add some ganache. I happened to have some leftover ganache in the freezer and just let it thaw in the refrig until soft enough to spread on the bundt. You can also heat it to get it liquefied and pour it over the bundt.

You may wonder...What happened to Day 8 of I Like Big Bundts? Um...I went out with friends for lunch at Canter's (famous Jewish deli in Los Angeles) and we had a lovely time on our day off. When I walked back to my car, I couldn't find my keys (I've never lost a set of keys!). Nothing like dumping the contents of your purse on the sidewalk! Luckily, one friend didn't drive off yet (we came from three different areas of town) and was able to search the sidewalk, restaurants and bakery (of course we stopped in at Diamond Bakery) for my keys to no avail. So he drove to my friend's work where I hung out and shredded documents for her (hey, what are friends for?) until the end of the workday. Then we went to my area of town, had dinner, drove back to my house for my extra set of car keys, then drove back to Canter's, and I picked up my car. Thus, my 1:00 pm lunch took me until 9:30 pm to get home. Lovely to chat with my friends for an extended period of time...but no time to Bundt!

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway for cool Snapware Pyrex food containers. See this post - deadline 11/13/2013.

P.S.S. If you bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on Nov 15, I'm doing a round up (with a giveaway for an awesome bundt pan for those who bake). Submission info will be up soon...I've been delayed in getting that together but never fear...we'll be celebrating! :)

P.S.S. Need ideas of what Bundt to make? Check out my I Like Big Bundts page with lots of links, and here are this year's so far...

I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)
Day 7: Cranberry Crème Fraîche Bundt
Day 6: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 5: Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt
Day 4: Moosewood's Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake
Day 3: Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Day 2: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Zucchini Bundt with Chocolate Ganache 
Adapted from The Kitchn, How to Make Zucchini Bread by Emma Christensen

Bundt:
1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium-sized)
3 cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (200 grams) white sugar
1/2 cup (50 grams)  brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup olive oil or canola oil (I used olive oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Optional extras: 1 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup raisins, or 1 cup chocolate chips (I used one cup of chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy, or greasing and flouring the pan.
2. Shred the zucchinis on a box grater. Place shreds in a clean kitchen towel or several layers of cheese cloth and squeeze to press out as much moisture from the zucchini as possible.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugars, olive oil, and vanilla extract together to combine.
5. Add the squeezed zucchini and the optional nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips into the flour mixture and gentle combine with a spatula. Add the liquids to the flour/zucchini mixture. Fold the batter together, being careful not to overmix.
6. Place batter in Bundt pan and smooth out top with an off-set spatula or spoon. Bake 45-50 minutes until skewer inserted in the center come back clean, and the top springs back when touched.
7. Let cook in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes and then invert and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Optional: Add some ganache to the top (either pour over ganache or spread on)

Ganache - This makes a cup or so of ganache. You will have extra and can freeze it or use it on another baking project!

1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1. Ganache is a combination of heavy cream and chocolate. So easy and so delicious. You can use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (or a mixture of both). The ratio is heavy cream (in fluid ounces) : chocolate (in weight)
2. Therefore, I used 8 fluid ounces (1 cup) of heavy cream to 8 ounces (weight) of semi-sweet chocolate.
3. Place the chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream to a light simmer. Turn off heat and slowly pour the cream over the chocolate.
4. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Then slowly whisk the liquid and chocolate together. Mix slowly...you don't want to incorporate extra air into the mixture. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. You can use ganache in different stages of "set". When it is warm, you can pour it over a cake or cupcake. When it firms up a bit more, you can spoon it on the treats. A bit more settling and you can frost with it. You can also whip it up for a lighter frosting. Oh, the possibilities of ganache.

Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt - Day #20 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #20

Whoo Hoo! 2/3 done with I Like Big Bundts 3!! We are on Day #20 of my crazy posting of 30 bundts in 30 days! And that means we are getting closer to National Bundt Day (November 15th). I hope you have your Bundt recipe picked out to celebrate the day of the sexy cake with lots of curves. :)

Today, it's a vegetable bundt. Doesn't that make it sound totally healthy?! This bundt has fresh zucchini and chocolate. You can't taste the zucchini, but you can really enjoy the chocolate.

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!

This recipe is from Clotilde Dusoulier's blog Chocolate and Zucchini. My friend and I attended a book signing when Clotilde was in the Los Angeles area a few years ago. Love her blog and book!

The recipe is very easy... some zucchini, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, flour and butter or oil. I used butter and instead of chocolate chips, I chopped up some Trader Joe's 72% chocolate. Instead of coffee granules, I put in a dash of instant espresso powder.

I baked it in a 10-cup Bundt pan. It doesn't rise too much and the texture is dense...this isn't a light and airy cake. It's great with coffee or tea or a nice tall glass of milk.

Here is the bundt straight from the oven... You can melt chocolate to top the bundt or powdered sugar. I went for the simplicity of powdered sugar. Clotilde makes her in a 10" springform pan...but I, of course, bundtized it. :)

Have a great Saturday! I'll see you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe on Epicurious
by Clotilde Dusoulier, blogger & author of Chocolate and Zucchini (does your library have it? WorldCat listing)

Bundt Pan: Nordic Ware Festival Pan

Zucchini Olive Oil Bundt with Crunchy Lemon Glaze - Day #16 of I Like Big Bundts

Zucchini Olive Oil Bundt with Crunchy Lemon Glaze

Welcome to Day #16 of I Like Big Bundts...the Food Librarian's quest to present 30 Bundts in 30 Days! All leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. Can you believe it is already November? The countdown to National Bundt Day has begun! Do you have your recipe picked out?! :) I hope you make a Bundt! (I'll do a round up like last year so please plan to send me your link!)

Lin wrote me an email suggesting this Bundt. She knows I like Olive Oil cakes and I love Lemon...so this cake is a perfect match! Lin made the adapted recipe from Savoring Time in the Kitchen, and I made the one from David Lebovitz. Both are adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma.

Susan of Savoring Time in the Kitchen added chocolate to her cake and baked it in the pretty Heritage pan from Williams-Sonoma. David Lebovitz made his in the classic Bundt. Both look delicious!

I finely grated the zucchini and squeezed out some of the water. And since there are four zucchinis, olive oil, and good for you nuts, this bundt is perfect for you. Have another slice. Ha ha.

After the Bundt is baked, you make a lemon, sugar and powdered sugar glaze. Using a pastry brush, the glaze is brushed on the warm cake. I made this Bundt in the Heritage pan from Williams-Sonoma. It is definitely one of my favorite Bundt pans. Sooooo pretty.

Okay, now that I've made 16 Bundts in 16 days, I'm starting to see things. Do you see the fish? I think it kinda looks like Dory from my favorite movie, Finding Nemo. Yeah, I think I should go to bed now.

See you back here tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recipe:
David Lebovitz's version (no chocolate) of Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze
Savoring Time in the Kitchen's version (with chocolate) of Zucchini Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Glaze

My notes:
- Used walnut pieces from Trader Joe's and Trader Joe's pecans
- Baked in the Heritage Pan
- Used Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from Trader Joe's
- Added zest of one lemon to the batter (David Lebovitz said he would do this next time)
- I used 4 regular sized zucchini (what they sell in the grocery store, not the huge ones you find behind the shed in the garden at the end of summer and then leave on your neighbor's doorstep as a "gift from the garden").

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt - Day #5 - I Like Big Bundts

Day 5 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes

As much as I like this whole interwebnets thing (and I seriously am in love with the Verizon Fios at my new place), I just wish they could make some improvements. Such as spammers geting little shocks when they try to send me yet another email about cheap drugs for problems I won't ever have because I don't have the equipment for that. And, of course, smell-a-vision.

Because if you could smell this cake, you would instantly make it. It is chocolatey, but not too rich. It is warm, but not hot. It has veggies, but you can't tell. And you would want to make someone this bundt cake.

So I'll tell you how. And let me know if you make it...or if you invent internet scratch-and-sniff websites.

Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

Welcome to Day 5 of I Like Big Bundts: 30 Days of Bundt Cakes....my crazy (yes, this get crazier every day...what was I thinking?!??!) baking adventure. National Bundt Day is November 15th and I'm posting one Bundt cake every day until then.

Today, it is Simply Recipe's Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe.

Simply Recipes uses all zucchini, but I found these lovely yellow squash at the farmer's market and wanted to give them a go with the zucchini. Some orange zest is included...a nice and subtle touch. I believe chocolate and orange are just great together.

Elise of Simply Recipes (I heard her speak at the closing session of BlogHerFood - and we were all introduced to her supportive parents as well) doesn't specify if you should use natural or Dutch-processed cocoa. I believe I used Dutch...but I didn't take notes. Oops!

I skipped the nuts and mine baked up in the Bundt in 45 minutes. Elise makes her in a tube pan.

This Bundt is wonderful! My co-workers loved it.

Come on back tomorrow and every day from now til National Bundt Day (November 15th) for another Bundt!
- mary the food librarian

Recipe:
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
from Simply Recipes, Aug 7, 2007

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt

Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes - Martha Stewart's Cupcake Club

For this month's Martha Stewart Cupcake Club, Tracey from Tracey's Culinary Adventures chose Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes on pages 44 of Martha's fantastic book: Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book. Tracey is the most awesome baker, cook, and all around nice person! I love her! Go visit her blog!

Martha Stewart Cupcake Club is a new baking club started by Sugar B of Eat My Cupcake and we are going to make one cupcake recipe per month (or more!) Check it out on the new website here.

I made this recipe earlier with a simply glaze, but this time I made it with the recommended Cream Cheese Frosting. It was the first recipe I made from this book, and it's a winner! I was very happy to make it again as I still had lots of zucchini hanging out in the veggie drawer.

The recipe calls for a boatload of cream cheese frosting. I made 1/2 the cupcake recipe and about 1/4 of the frosting recipe. Me thinks Martha and her crew love the frosting way more than me. :)

Be sure to check out the other Martha Stewart Cupcake Club members and their version of the recipe! And be sure to make this tasty treat! (The cupcake is dairy free but the cream cheese frosting...well, is not!)

Recipe:
Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book: Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes, page 44
Note: The Martha Stewart Cupcake Club doesn't post the recipe. You can use WorldCat to see if your library has it in their collection (hey, I need to put the Librarian in the Food Librarian sometimes! :)

Banana Zucchini Bundt Cake with King Arthur Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites

It's the end of summer.
Sad.
Luckily, I got to go to San Diego over Labor Day weekend and met up with my friend Jami and her new doggie, Maggie. Ain't she the cutest?

When it's summer, it's zucchini time. Kinda like Hammer Time but with a little less dancing.

My blogger friend Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet recently went to King Arthur Flour in Vermont. OMG. When she said she was going to KAF for a baking class, I thought she was kidding. Seriously, I thought KAF was like Oz. A place they mention in their catalog and on their packages, but not an actual place. Well, low and behold, Mary took a baking class with her mom! See her post about her yummy adventures.

After my cat Q-Tip passed away, I received a lovely card and gift package from Mary. She is so sweet. I shook the packet and it sounded like dried cat food! But inside were King Arthur Flour's Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites. These are too cool!

I added 1/3 cup of King Arthur Flour Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites. While they do indeed look like cat food pellets, they are tasty when they soften in a baked good. They are also dairy free! Whoo hoo. (The recipe is also dairy-free).

I found this recipe on Michelle's blog (One Ordinary Day) and Alicia's blog (Confessions of a Bakeaholic ) and it looked so delicious I had to give it a shot. One cup each: raw zucchini, mashed bananas and chopped pecans, along with 1/3 c of the King Arthur Cinnamon Flav-R-Bites.

Yeah. I know. It's a Bundt. Again.
And I have another one that isn't posted yet. I think I'll save that one to space them out a bit! :)

This was yummy. It isn't really rich like Dorie Greenspan's butter and sour cream filled Banana Bundt, but it is a yummy breakfast treat. The King Arthur Flav-R-Bites add a nice cinnamon touch.

Recipe: (three options)
One Ordinary Day who found it on Recipezaar (submitted by Margo59 and baked in two loaf pans) or Confessions of a Bakeaholic

Chocolate Zucchini Cake - King Arthur Flour

Have you been blessed?
No, not in a religious sense (although that is good too!)
But blessed with summer's green log. The zucchini.

Someone "conveniently" leaves them on your porch?
Or did you plant all the seeds in the packet because they so small (really, how many zucchini could result?!)...and now you are "rewarded" with zucchini coming out of, well, you know?

Here's something to do with your gift from the garden. Make King Arthur's Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Em of the Repressed Pastry Chef made this recently and I knew I would be blessed with another zucchini soon, so I quickly bookmarked it. Em made a chocolate ganache topping. Check it out on her blog (and keep reading her blog...she's amazing!)

You don't even taste the zucchini, but you'll benefit from the moistness it imparts. And the frosting is beyond easy. Throw some chocolate chips on top, let it sit & melt, then spread out with a spatula. Sweet.

Recipe:
Chocolate Zucchini Cake by King Arthur

Zucchini-Spice Cupcakes (Martha Stewart Cupcakes)

I bought Martha Stewart's new Cupcakes book on "opening" weekend. However, I have yet to make anything in it!

I had good reason to try the Zucchini-Spice cupcakes first. See below.

When this ends up on your porch, you instantly think...Zucchini Bread.
(The cupcake liner is shown for scale)

Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book suggests a cream cheese frosting (which would be lovely). But I was out of cream cheese...so I made a quick glaze of powdered sugar, vanilla extract and water. I think I probably saved about 100 calories each too!

I got these cool cupcake liners at, well, where else? Surfas in Culver City, California. They are basically squares of parchment folded into pretty little things.

Note to Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet: When you and the family come out to Disneyland, I'll go with you to both Disneyland AND Surfas! :)

The cupcake is very moist and easy to make. It is dairy-free, and I used olive oil instead of canola oil.

I poured a wee bit too much in each cup and ended up with 20 cupcakes instead of 24. I also ended up baking them for about 35 minutes instead of 20 minutes. Because these liners are really tall, I had the pans on the top and bottom racks. If I use these liners again, I'll try baking them separately and in the middle. So watch the time and size of your cupcakes!

When you are gifted with some zucchini, make sure to make this tasty treat!

Recipe:
Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book, page 44-45.
Also found on Erin's Food Files blog. She made the cream cheese frosting - yum!

Martha Stewart's Zucchini and Cranberry Muffins

Martha Stewart's Zucchini and Cranberry Muffins

The other morning, in my sleep deprived, inaugural euphoria, I pulled out Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook and flipped through a few pages. Since I only had about an hour before I had to leave for work, I skipped the twelve-tier cake and yeast breads...and went directly for the muffins and quick breads.

There it was! Cranberry-Zucchini Muffins on page 37! I have some cranberries in the freezer and a few zucchini in the refrig! Score!

By the way, if you don’t have Martha’s book in your collection, you should really consider adding it. The photos are great and Martha’s crazy OCD attention to details makes for good instructions.

Flecks of zucchini green and pops of red cranberry...yum!

Dry: 1 3/4 c flour, 1/2 t baking powder, 1/2 t baking soda, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t salt
Wet: 2 eggs, 1 c sugar, 1/2 c vegetable oil, 1/2 t vanilla, 1 c finely shredded zucchini
Combine dry and wet then add 1/2 cup cranberries (Martha says to keep them whole but I quartered mine). As with all muffins, don't overmix!! I topped mine with some sanding sugar too.

I baked them at 375 for 25-30 minutes, and I got 11 muffins (Martha says you should get 10). I always tip my muffins shortly after they come out of the oven so the bottoms don't get soggy.

Finally, these are muffins.
M-U-F-F-I-N-S.
No, not little cakes pretending to be muffins that you can find at Starbucks and Costco.
These are light and a bit tangy with the cranberries. And I must admit...if they were mini-muffins I could probably polish off ten of them. Or, perhaps a cool dozen!

Do you have some frozen cranberries stashed in your freezer? You should try this recipe! (hint, hint Mary Ann! :)