Zucchini? Cake It!

Zucchini is a vegetable that made a poor first impression on me. It was roasted but not quite cooked through and served with a not very impressive roasted chicken. That happened several years ago at a restaurant.

Since then, I simply turned my nose up at it and never paid it any further attention. That was until I found a recipe for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. Admittedly, it was the chocolate chips that attracted me. The zucchini part was more of a curiosity.

Grated zucchini.

Since then, I have been buying zucchini, not for baking but for adding it to my chicken or pork rib soup. I also used it once for making fake noodles. 

I haven't been baking for a while, have I? Since I have some lemons in the fridge, it was time to revisit breads or rather cakes that contain zucchini.

And since I am at it, I might as well add something more glamorous in the form of blueberries.

Blueberries get me every time. I cannot resist them but only when the price is right. How I wish they were not so expensive. If we can grow strawberries in Cameron Highlands, can we not plant blueberries?

This Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Bread is very easy to make. There is no need to use a mixer and there is no butter involved (though I would very much prefer butter). 

The best part is the lemon glaze. Do not skip that. I am not into icings and frostings but this one is an exception because it is so good.

More glaze please!

This cake is moist with tender crumbs and is very nice to eat. The only thing that spoilt it for me was the smell of the oil I used (grapeseed oil, maybe it had gone rancid?) and the absence of butter. Somehow, the smell of vanilla was not apparent, maybe I need to add more.

I ate one thick slice and it was so filling. 

I'm happy with this bake and I should have used the full recipe for the lemon glaze.

Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Bread

Recipe source : Adapted from A Beautiful Mess

Ingredients :

- 250g self-raising flour, sifted

- 1.5 cups grated zucchini, squeezed to remove excess water

- 1.5 cups caster sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

- 3/4 cup grapeseed oil

- 250g blueberries (mix with 1 tbsp of flour)

- Zest of one lemon (I will use 2 lemons in future for a more intense aroma)

For the Lemon Glaze

- 1/2 cup icing sugar (highly recommended to use 1 whole cup)

- 3 tbsp lemon juice (more if using 1 cup icing sugar)

Method :

1. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, oil, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract.

2. Fold in grated zucchini.

3. Add flour (I sifted the flour 3 heaped tbsp at a time into the mixture to make it easier to mix) and fold into the wet mixture.

4. Once combined, fold in the blueberries.

5. Pour into a loaf pan and bake at 160C for 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. To make the glaze, simply add lemon juice to the icing sugar and mix until you get a thick pouring consistency.

Note : After 50 minutes, my cake was still not cooked. So I tented the pan and continued to bake.