Chocolate zucchini cake

I make my own oat milk and often turn the soaked oats into porridge. As it’s so warm I was thinking of other ways to use them, and a cake was the obvious choice.

As it’s summer in NZ, zucchini is in season so cheap and plentiful. Bonus is that you wouldn’t know there is zucchini in the cake, particularly as its a challenging texture for many children (including mine!!).

This is kind of a fudgy-style cake so quite like a brownie. It’s also full of lots of great, nutrient dense ingredients.

Recipe chocolate zucchini cake

1 cup soaked oats (I used wholegrain, soaked in boiling water and once cooled, food processed them)
2 eggs
1/3 cup softened butter
½ cup softened dates (I just microwave 20 secs)
1 hpd dst sp of ground linseeds or LSA (great for absorption of liquid + boost of omega 3’s)
Salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vinegar
4 hpd dst sp of cocoa powder
2 hps dst sp honey or maple syrup (for sweeter add more to taste – or use additional dried fruit)
½ cup grated zucchini (squeeze liquid out)
¼ cup of flour

Method

Heat oven to 180˚
Grease a cake tin or baking dish
Put all the ingredients except zucchini and flour in a food processor and combine
Fold in the zucchini and flour
Tip mixture into cake tin
Bake for 30-35 mins. Should not be runny in the middle but a little softness in the middle is okay as it will continue to solidify out of the oven.
Cool before cutting.

Judith, MA Cantab (Cambridge University), Post Grad Dip Psychology (Massey University), is an AOTA accredited picky eating advisor and internationally certified nutritional therapist. She works with 100+ families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table.
She is also mum to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.
Learn more about Judith here: https://theconfidenteater.com/about/