Ruth’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My mother-in-law warned me that her son didn’t like vegetables. He denied it vehemently. He still does. But, I’ve observed the man’s eating habits over the last seventeen years, and I would say that his mother was mostly right.

Her son doesn’t like many vegetables.

But, he does like chocolate bundt cake – with just a touch of powdered sugar. She gave me this recipe years ago so I could sneak some vegetables into his diet. She was a woman who always thought of these kinds of things, long before they were trendy.

Last summer I could not find this recipe when I had a glut of zucchini on hand. But, low and behold, I found it this morning. Yeah! It’s so nice to have recipes to remember her by, though I wish we had her, instead.

Ruth’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a second mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well. Stir in vanilla and zucchini. Alternately, stir in dry ingredients and milk. Add nuts. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool completely. Sift over with powdered sugar.