Monday 31 March 2014

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread


After my first bake using zucchini, I was happy enough with the cake to try more. I was searching online when I came across Paula Deen's Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. You can't go wrong with chocolate chips, can you? Besides, I had already bought three zucchinis last week and I might as well go ahead.

Fresh from the oven.

Pauls Deen's recipe makes 2 loafs of zucchini bread and I had to scale it down to only one. And I decided to experiment. The texture of the zucchini bread I baked previously was on the dense side. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I prefer a lighter texture. That's when I decided to add yogurt to the batter as yogurt has never failed to give me fluffier muffins. It ought to work the same way with zucchini bread.


Another thing I did was to use butter instead of oil. I love the buttery aroma of butter cakes and I figured that a yummy zucchini bread ought to have that same quality. And as if I was not "kay poh" (busybody) enough, I decided to take the extra step of creaming the butter and sugar. This I did using a hand whisk and it was not too difficult at all. I have seen Rachel Allen do that with a wooden spoon on her TV show.


What is nice about this recipe is the addition of orange zest and that made a lot of difference. The cake smelt fantastic and it elevated the taste of the other ingredients in particular the chocolate chips.


My previous zucchini bread may have been slightly overbaked. The top had already browned and the center was still raw at 50 minutes. This time round, I tented the cake pan and baked it covered for the first 30 minutes. Then I baked it uncovered for another 30 minutes and it was nicely done by then. The yogurt had given this cake a nice rise and it rose much higher than the first bake.


I only sliced into the cake the next day and I was very pleased with the texture. It was moist and not so dense compared to the first cake. I think I like this one better. Besides chocolate chips, I used raisins and cranberries. You can also use chopped pecans like in Paula Deen's original recipe or any of your favorite nuts or dried fruits. 









Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
Recipe source : Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients :
- 125g butter at room temperature
- 50g brown sugar
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 140 ml plain yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest from 1 orange
- 1.5 cups grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- extra chocolate chips, raisins and cranberries for topping

Method :
1. Mix flour with cinnamon and sift. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add yogurt, vanilla, orange zest and eggs and mix until well combined.
4. Add zucchini and stir to combine.
5. Add flour and fold gently until just combined (do not overmix)
6. Fold in chocolate chips, raisins and cranberries.
7. Pour batter into a lined 4" x 9" x 3" loaf pan. Top with extra chocolate chips, raisins and cranberries.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 160C for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool.


39 comments:

  1. Whoa.. Your cake a lot of “liew” leh.. Not stingy like those store-bought ones, you can even count the number of chocolate chips and raisins. Really, the other day, I bought some raisin-cranberry-something bread for Kz boy.. He was picking out the raisins+cranberries one by one, and handed me back the bread with holes! I can even count the holes aka how many biji he has picked.. Pathetic lor.. Like 4 holes?

    Ahhh, nothing can go wrong with chocolate chips.. Steamed cakes very dry and hard one, kan? The secret is to put chocolate chips inside.. Once bitten, ooohhh, those melted chocolate oozed out and the whole thing doesn’t taste like a dry steamed cake afterall.. Taste like a real moist oven-baked chocolate cake..

    Your cake sure taste very sedap especially with the orange zest in it.. oohh, and those raisins + cranberries + chocolate chips.. Ooohh la la.. Wait, this is called a zucchini cake.. I can’t taste the zucchini.. I don't even know this is a zucchini cakes if you don't tell..

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    1. Louiz, I highly recommend this cake. Very fuss free. Can add whatever your favourites - raisins, cranberries, choc chips, nuts etc. Mix, mix, mix and plonk it in the baking pan. Chuck into the oven and kautim! Very moist and sedap. Guarantee!

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  2. Hi Phong Hong,
    I can see that this loaf is packed with so many goodies in there as well as aroma and taste of cinnamon and orange zest.

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    1. Mel, it smells good and tastes good, Try it!

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  3. Bread too? Last time, you had pasta/noodles, right? Ooooo....so many raisins - I like! More like fruit cake, not bread. :D

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    1. Arthur, this is more a cake rather than bread but called a bread :) I think you will like this if you are a fruit cake fan, Very moist and full of flavours.

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  4. at first i thought i am reading an old post, i still vividly remember you did a zucchini bread like last week.. quickly go and look up in your blog archive, and yeah, this one is a different one!! just change the pumpkin seeds to chocolate chips and slight amendments on the recipe accordingly?? yeah, this one is equally nice lah, i would love to have a bite also.. errr, one bite not enough lah, one whole loaf can ah?? kekekeke~~ :p

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    1. Sure boh whole cake? For me I think I can la.. Yep, anything with orange/lemon zest, sure very "hiong" one.. Sedapppp...

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    2. SK : I think you can easily finish one whole cake because it is actually a small loaf. Looks big in the photo.

      Princess Ribbon : For you, I think 2 loaves baru cukup hee...hee...

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  5. Wow, this is amazing and make every bite full of flavour!!!!

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    1. Esther, this is a very moist and flavoursome cake. I hope you try it someday!

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  6. After reading and seeing your 2 successful zucchini bakes, i am convinced that they make delicious cakes, gotta try it one of these days. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You must try it, I have fallen in love with zucchini cake :)

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  7. I have never used zucchini for baking but if you can use a pumpkin, why not a zucchini!

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    1. Ola, if you can get your hands on a zucchini, please try this cake. I am quite sure that you will like it.

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  8. Phong Hong, Phong Hong, I always enjoy reading your posting very much, you are so patient in explaining the your baking experience & you always show a sense of humor so it's always a pleasure when coming to visit your blog. My friend, I don't know what keeps me so busy that I haven't updated my blog for nearly 2 weeks now, haha. And my hubby is so "sui," he said that don't worry about your blog as nobody misses you, ai! Anyway, back to your bread, I love this as much as your previous baked.

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    1. Hi Jessie! Thank you for your very sweet words! Aiyo, I am so touched lah....it is people like you who give me a lot of motivation and joy! Blogging has been fun. Aiya, husband like that lah. Of course I miss you and so do our other friends! I was waiting patiently for your update and today I saw it! Yippeee!!

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  9. kat mana u beli zucchini tu PH? i susahnya nak nampak zucchini ni tau... tp tak semua tempat i survey la.. hehe.. only kat Giant, Checkers saja...
    kek tu nampak sedap sgt PH.... terliur pulak..

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    1. Hi MaDiHaA! Ada kat Tesco. Kadang-kadang berlambak! Kat Aeon (Jusco) pun ada. Kena cuba nih!

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  10. Phong Hong, is zucchini your favorite vegetable? You seem to cook/bake with it a lot. I love zucchini a lot too, such a great vegetable.

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    1. Hi Yen! It is not my favourite but I like is very much. And ever since I baked with it, I love the zucchini cake a lot!

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  11. Looks great and you are seriously tempting me to make this cake!

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    1. I am waiting for your zucchini cake :)

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  12. Hi Phong Hong,
    Agreed with Jessie about your blogging spirit. I love your sense of humour ;)
    Ahh!! Another zucchini bread with lots of jewel in them. Throw 2 pieces over for my tea? :p
    mui

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    1. Thank you, mui mui! I appreciate your support! Oh, I must bake a fresh one for you :)

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  13. I have never tried zucchini in baking, this cake sound wonderful!

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    1. Sonia, this cake is some sort of a simple fruit cake. You will enjoy it if you like fruit cake.

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  14. Hi Phong Hong,

    After reading your previous zucchini bake, I sort of knew that you will be curious to try another zucchini bake. And, I can see that your zucchini bakes get better and better... We love zucchini and I buy at least 2 every week. It is neutral tasting vege and good that my son is eating them without complaining :p

    Paula Deen's recipe!!! If you are baking or cooking Paula's recipes, must join CLAS, June hor... She is the theme for June :D

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! I buy zucchini quite regularly now. Oh, thanks for the heads up on Paula Deen. I hope to join CLAS in June :)

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  15. Hi Phong Hong, wow... look so delightful. Looking at the ingredients I can practically smell the fragrant scent from here. :))
    Excellent combination, it sure taste good with coffee too.

    Have a nice week ahead,regards.

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    1. Hi Amelia! Yes, this cake is perfect with coffee :)

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  16. Phong, Hong...Love zucchini bread, but with the addition of the chocolate chips...heavenly, and super yummylicious! Love the recipe...can't wait to try it out!

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! I never would have thought that zucchini could be so good in cakes! I buy the regularly now :)

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  17. Dear Phong Hong,

    This isn't the first time I've been to your blog, but the 1st time commenting. I love reading about your baking exploits & have bookmarked a few of your recipes to try myself. I try to bake at least once a week you see, since hubby has a sweet tooth; if we keep buying cakes etc from the shops, we might have to rob a bank at some point! :D

    I've tried baking zucchini cake before & it was very moist. I also substituted zucchini (or courgette as we call here in the UK) with cucumber :) The cake I baked had chocolate chips, raisins & pineapple in as well as zucchini/cucumber combo. It was lovely. I was surprised that we couldn't taste the zucchini in the cake & also very pleased to see the green streaks from the veg throughout the cake - it was pretty! :) Hubby just bought some zucchini for me today as it was on offer, so I'll bake your cake very soon! :)

    Thank you for such an enjoyable insight into your baking experiences :) And I must say you have my utmost respect as well for being able to speak Malay, English & Chinese all interchangeably & fluently! :)

    I'll be coming back to see more of your recipes, thanks very much again my dear Phong Hong & keep up the good work :)

    xxx

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  18. Hi Atarashii Ouchi! I am very happy to read your comment. Thank you for visiting my blog! Ah, I see that you like zucchini cake too. Yes, it is a very moist cake and lovely to eat. But here in Malaysia due to the warm weather, this cake doesn't keep too well. I have 2 more zucchinis in the fridge and am looking out for more variations to try. Yours with pineapple sounds good!

    Thank you for you warm and kind words and you have put a smile on my face on this gloomy Sunday!

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  19. Dear Phong Hong jie :) (just realised you're older than me),

    I baked both your Zucchini Bread last night, this chocolate chip one & the pumpkin seeds one. I had no pumpkin seeds, so substituted them with sunflower seeds :) It turned out lovely.

    But the chocolate chips one was very greasy & did not raise very well. I was wondering if you're supposed to use Self-Raising Flour in it or add Baking Powder? You just mentioned flour in the recipe, so I assumed you meant Plain Flour.

    I'm also wondering if it's affected by the type of butter & yoghurt that I'm using.. I think if I do this recipe again, I'll just stick to my own yoghurt (I used shop bought one as didn't have time to make yoghurt with my EasiYo stuff) & reduce the amount of butter probably. What do you reckon jie? :)

    I am quite sad that it didn't turn out very well. But it won't deter me from trying more Zucchini cakes/breads in the future. I'm really glad the pumpkin zucchini bread turned out lovely though; thanks very much for that one jie :)

    xx

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  20. Hi atarashii ouchi! You don't have to be so formal and call me jie (I'm very vain, don't want to appear old muahahaha!!!). I am so sorry that the choc chip one didn't turn out well. The flour is supposed to be self raising flour, sorry for forgetting to mention. I have updated the recipe. Perhaps you could reduce the butter. Mine was OK and the rise was good due to the yogurt (compared to the first pumpkin seed one). Do try the recipe again and feel free to make your own modifications. I do that to other people's recipe all the time hah...hah....And you are most welcome for the recipes as I am very happy to share. Have a nice weekend!

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