If we start from the idea that, botanically, zucchini is a fruit, the idea of using it as the star ingredient of a sweet sponge cake should not be so surprising. Less sweet than carrot, pumpkin or sweet potato, zucchini helps to get a biscuit very soft and juicy crumb, makes it more satiating and leaves no trace of strange flavors.
Zucchini sweets are a classic in Anglo-Saxon confectionery, competing with the zucchini bread in the United States with the so-called banana bread, which are really almost the equivalent of our sponge cakes. If finding green bits in the crumb puts you off, just peel the vegetable or use white variants.
Courgettes vary greatly in size and weight, so you have to grate them first until you get 200 g indicated in the recipe. It is best to use a food processor or robot with a grater attachment, medium coarse, to prevent a paste from forming. It is a vegetable with a lot of water, so we recommend draining it on several sheets of kitchen paper before adding it to the final dough.
The recipe that we have followed, adjusting the ingredients a little and reducing the amount of sugar, also adds two elements that combine very well with the zucchini in this type of biscuits, walnuts and raisins. This time we have omitted them due to disagreements at home about the tripe in biscuits, but do not hesitate to add them if they are to your liking.
Preheat the oven to 175ºC with heat up and down, without a fan. Line with non-stick paper rectangular mold about 20-22 cm long. Wash and dry the courgettes, cut off the ends and peel the parts that are ugly or damaged, or peel completely if you prefer to avoid green spots.
Grate with a grater or food processor, using a medium coarseness, up to 200 g. Leave resting on several layers of absorbent kitchen paper.
In a large container, beat the eggs with the panela, the oil, the milk and the vanilla, for the sugar to dissolve and the mixture is homogeneous. Separately combine the flour with the salt, the cinnamon, the bicarbonate and the yeast, and sift it over the first mixture. Stir gently until there are no dry lumps.
Wrap the zucchini in kitchen paper and squeeze to extract a large amount of the water it has. Add the vegetables to the dough and mix with encircling movements, to distribute it well.
Fill the mold, sprinkle with a little brown sugar on top (optional) and bake for about 50-55 minutes. When you prick the center with a toothpick it should come out almost completely clean, only with crumbs. Wait 10 minutes out of the oven before unmolding and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Lékué – Rectangular Silicone Mold, Red, 24cm
With what to accompany the zucchini cake
Few suggestions need to be made about how to taste a good cake. Desktop coffee, milk or a very cold vegetable drink, a hot infusion or a glass of horchata are good accompaniments. If we take it as a dessert, especially after dinner, we can accompany it with a glass of wine or sweet liquor.
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