Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This double chocolate zucchini bread contains both cocoa powder and half of a pound of chocolate chunks.... and two medium zucchinis.

Yes, it's zucchini season, that time of year when everyone has an overabundance. This is a great way to use some of that zucchini. In fact, my cousin, who grows amazing vegetables and fruits in her cantilevered yard in the hills of eastern Los Angeles county, gave me a good sized zucchini this year (along with some fabulous figs and heirloom tomatoes). If you look very closely, you can see evidence of the zucchini, but don't tell the kids.

I made this bread as a "cake" for a birthday dinner for my son. He's not a big fan of cake, so I thought a slice of this bread with a dollop of whipped cream might be just enough. We could stick a candle in it and call it a cake. What I did not anticipate was how much his sons would love it. Seriously loved it. Especially with the whipped cream. Just watching the oldest (age 9) enjoy his dessert was such a joy to me. He was in heaven, which is so much fun for me.

This bread reminded me of a large brownie. It is so moist from the zucchini, and will keep, wrapped, for a few days.

This year the Avid Bakers Challenge is all about making recipes from the King Arthur Flour website, and this month we are baking this double chocolate zucchini bread. I'm a huge fan of +King Arthur Flour. While this "product use serendipity" was not planned in advance, for this recipe, I used their all purpose flour, Bensdorp Dutch process cocoa, espresso powder, and their Barry Calebaut semi-sweet chocolate chunks (Disclosure: I'm getting nothing for mentioning them, and I'm pretty sure they have no idea that this site exists). While the original recipe calls for 6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips, I used 8 plus ounces of the chocolate chunks, plus all of the chocolate powdery-ness that was at the bottom of the bag once I dumped in all of the chunks. You know what I am talking about.

By the way, this recipe is the perfect example as to why using a kitchen scale is so fabulous. You know how much of a hassle it is to measure honey into a measuring cup and then scrape it into the rest of the ingredients? Instead, just pour it directly from the container into the mixing bowl, which sits on top of a scale, Keep an eye on the weight as you add more. Same with the brown sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa, flour, zucchini, and chocolate chips/chunks. That's seven measuring cups you don't have to wash. Have I sold you yet? Buy a kitchen scale. Mine was less than $30 and takes up very little room.

If you'd like to join the Avid Baker's Challenge, or see what other bakers did with this recipe, click >here< to find out more.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe 

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Their site will convert this recipe from volume, to ounces, to grams

Ingredients

2 large eggs

4 ounces (by weight) or 1/3 C honey

3 3/4 ounces brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract.
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
1 ounce all-purpose or Dutch process unsweetened cocoa
7 1/8 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour
12 ounces shredded unpeeled zucchini, about 2 medium zucchinis
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips. I used 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Grease or spray an 81/2 inch by 6 1/2 inch bread pan.
3. In large bowl, whisk the eggs, honey, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. 
4. Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder, cocoa, and flour, and stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. 
5. Add the chocolate chips/chunks and the shredded zucchini and stir until fully combined. You will have a fairly wet batter. 
6. Pour the batter into the pan, place it in the center of the oven, and bake for 65 to 75 minutes. Mine took 65 minutes, probably because on or my zucchinis was less juicy. A toothpick inserted should come out clean except for some melted chocolate chip if you happen to hit one. 
7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. 
8. Turn out of the pan and place it on the rack to cool completely. 

Store any leftovers wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.

There's also a #chocolateparty going on over at Roxanna's Home Baking. 
Bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana’s home baking #chocolateparty and win amazing prizes from OXO, Calphalon, Keurig, Imperial Sugar, Honey Ridge Farmsand Land O Lakes® Butter