Summer Sheet Cake

So... I’m sure you are curious about the word “summer” in a cake recipe.  Technically, you could make this any time of year.  But summer is when you don’t have to pay a lot for zucchini.  This ingredient bumps the classic “Texas Sheet Cake” up a few notches.  You will love it.

If you aren’t using your zucchini for savory dishes - you are most likely making them into zucchini bread.  I prefer cake to zucchini bread.  I have several recipes for chocolate zucchini cake - all slightly different.  

The reason I think this is my new favorite is because of how much easier it is to mix.  The cocoa is added almost dead last - just before folding in the zucchini.  You also mix your leavenings (baking powder, baking soda) into the liquid ingredients, instead of sifting them with the dry ingredients.  I really like those changes.

You can make this into a large 9” x 13” cake if you wish, but it would make a great thin Texas Sheetcake (style) cake baked in an 18” x 13” pan.  The only thing you would need to do - and this is just my preference - is to double the frosting ingredients.    

Most Texas Sheetcakes are fairly dry cakes - very few of them contain eggs, and the frosting is too thin (in my opinion).  This recipe has several things going for it.  Eggs, vegetable oil PLUS butter, chocolate chips, zucchini, and your choice of buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt.  I used yogurt - it was terrific.  

The frosting (which I googled and found that way) has a few flaws the original way I made it.  Boiling together the butter, cocoa, and milk is asking for lumps.  Make sure you melt the butter, add the cocoa, and THEN add the milk before bringing it to a boil.  Disperse the cocoa first into the butter - and you’re good.

This type of frosting has to be spread on while the cake is hot.  It sets up to resemble really soft fudge if you let it cool before spreading.  Which would be disastrous to your fantastic cake.  Your cake does not have to be hot, just the frosting. 

For the recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com