Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

I had harvested the last zucchini of the year, so we had to do something special with it.  A recipe featured on Lick the Bowl Good caught my eye- Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake. I had purchased a Pampered Chef stone bundt pan from a garage sale for a mere $2. It had never been used! The time was right to break it in. I added a chocolate glaze for a finishing touch and oh my heavens, if you have a bundt pan you MUST try this cake. MUST.


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (* I left this out and it was still amazing)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


For Chocolate Glaze:
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
2 -3 tablespoons hot water



DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder or spray liberally with nonstick spray.

Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a large glass measuring cup and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat alternating flour and sour cream mixtures and end with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary between additions.

Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. (Mine took 65 minutes to bake). Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Combine ingredients for glaze and spoon over top of bundt cake, allowing to drizzle down the sides.

Slice and serve.

Store the uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.