Today’s Mixing Bowl recipe comes from graphic designer and Etsy seller Sarah Roberto of Oh So Good. Her delicious recipe for whole wheat zucchini cake with coconut cream cheese frosting would be make a tasty weekend treat and would also be a great way start the fall baking season! Personally, I love zucchini bread, even though zucchini is one of my least favorite veggies. I'll eat the green squash, but it's not my first choice, but zucchini bread . . . yum! The fact that it doesn't have an overwhelming zucchini flavor makes it a great, healthier, dessert option for the kiddies, too. Just don't tell them that there's zucchini in it!
Sarah is a Toronto-based graphic designer who creates environmentally-friendly notebooks, greeting cards, and gift tags using salvaged paper. For example, when you buy one of Sarah's notebooks, the inside will be filled with found pages (grid, lined, colored) and the cover print may have been rescued from a discarded book or a scrap of vintage wallpaper. Such a great idea! I don't often buy stationary products because I inevitably feel guilty about the environmental impact. As a result, I have TONS of unbound paper scraps floating around my house with various notes scribbled on them. Sarah's notebooks are a great way to stay organized, without hurting the environment! The faux wood notebooks have my name written all over them, but there are a lot of other great designs to choose from. You can view Sarah's collection online right here.
Thanks so much to Sarah for sharing her recipe with us! Happy Baking!
You can find the full recipe and more photos after the jump.
Whole Wheat Zucchini Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
CAKE
Ingredients:
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp.baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 3 tsp. cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
1. Grease an 8 x 8" pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar in another larger bowl. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Frosting
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 tbsp. icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Flaked coconut
• Raspberries and mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Directions:
1. Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add icing sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract.
2. Spread frosting on cooled zucchini cake.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread coconut flakes on baking sheet. Toast coconut until lightly browned – this takes only a few minutes, so watch carefully.
4. Dust toasted coconut on cake and garnish with raspberries and mint leaves.