Nice and Easy Chocolate Zucchini Mini Bundt Cakes

In Australia, we always seems to live in the opposite side of the world. While everyone is having a snowy Christmas, we are strangely having a sunny one.

Here I am watching our zucchini plants growing in our nice and sunny weather and would love to harvest our zucchini to make a chocolate zucchini cake for our countdown to the coming Christmas season.

Based on the list of ingredients in a fantastic recipe by Zoe Bakes, I've transformed her recipe to a super easy mix-and-bake one and I'm very happy that this transformation works very well for me.

This chocolate cakes are super moist with lots of zucchini in it. Surprisingly, all my hardworking "cake critics" can't tell that there are zucchini inside these cake until they were told and looked into the cakes with their extreme microscopic views. I've not tried baking this cake accordingly to its original recipe but I think my cakes are as good as a good chocolate cake should be.

These chocolate cakes are really easy to make!

Surprise! Surprise! There are lots of zucchini inside these cakes...

Watching my zucchini growing in my garden...

Love watching rays of sunshine shining on my plants...

A closer look of the cake...

Can you see any zucchini with your microscopic view?

Here's the recipe from Zoe Bakes.

(with my modification in blue)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch cocoa powder)
1 tsp baking soda (replaced by baking powder)
1 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (replaced by rice bran or any vegetable oil)
1 cup brown sugar, well packed
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used rice bran oil)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini, tightly packed
4 ounces (or 120g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar for the top of the cake 

(I didn't do this. Instead, I made a chocolate glaze for my cakes)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan (or mini Bundt pans), set aside.

2. Cut the tops and bottoms of the zucchini off, and then cut into quarters. Remove the seeds if they are large and at all tough. This was only necessary for the child-sized squash.

3. Grate the zucchini using a grater attachment of a food processor.

4. Sift together the flour, soda (or baking powder), salt and cocoa powder, set aside.

5. In a stand mixer cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar using the paddle attachment, until it is light and fluffy. Slowly add the oil, until it is evenly distributed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Beat in the vanilla extract.

6. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the yogurt in 3 additions each.

7. Remove from the mixer and stir in the melted and cooled chocolate. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

9. Bake in the middle of the oven for about one hour or until a tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan until nearly room temperature, you should be able to comfortably handle it.

10. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream. This cake is even better the next day for breakfast.

My mix-and-bake modifications: 

Using half of the recipe, I've made 4 mini Bundt cakes (approximately 1 cup capacity each). 

I followed step 1 to 4 of the above recipe and stopped following from step 5 onwards.

Instead of using the creaming method, I mixed oil, egg, both sugar and vanilla extract together, then I stirred in the melted chocolate and the grated zucchini until they were evenly distributed.

Lastly, I added the dry ingredients alternately with the yogurt in 3 additions. Do not over-mix at this stage. I distributed the batter evenly into the cake pans

I baked my cakes at 160°C fan forced for 30 min or until a skewer inserted come out clean.

Here's my chocolate glaze for 4 mini Bundt cakes

(adapted from the book, Baking, from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan):

60g chocolate (70% cocoa), melted
2 tsp light corn syrup

Melt chocolate in a microwave. Stir in corn syrup. Using a spatula, spread the glaze over the Bundt cakes. The glaze will set in 10-15 min at room temperature.

Happy Baking

Minature Key Lime Cupcakes

Time files so quickly and this is our 13th bake-along with my two brilliant baking buddies, Lena, from Frozen wings and Joyce from Kitchen Flavours. These bake-alongs have been great opportunities for me to broaden my baking horizon. I really enjoy baking for all our past bake-alongs and love sharing our baking ideas and recipes with my friends.

The book, Bon Appetit by Barbara Fairchild is recommended by Lena when she first bought this book. These cupcakes are the first item that I've baked this gigantic book.

When I first read the recipe, I had a short list of dos and don'ts for these cupcakes.

• I didn't like the idea of my lime cupcakes to be too green in colour but conversely, I want my lime cupcakes to have a greenish lime identity.
• I want these cupcakes to be light and refreshing...just like a typical fizzy lime drink would taste.
• I want to have attractive cupcakes but didn't want the cupcakes to be overwhelmed with decorations. Just simple and pretty.

Eventually, this is what I did...

My key lime cupcakes were baked in smaller bite-sizes. Inspired by light and fizzy cocktails with sugars coated on the rims of the glasses, my cupcakes were served with a lighter version of cream cheese frosting and lightly decorated with well-infused lime sugar on the rims of my cupcakes.

I'm happy with the way that I made these cupcakes...

For our next bake-along, we are cooking pancakes or crepes which is to be posted on 8 December 2011. Please join us and link your pancake or crepes post with ours on 8 December 2011 or within the next 5 days.

I would also like to submit this post to Aspiring Bakers #13: Enjoy Cupcakes ! (Nov 2011) hosted by Min of Min's Blog

 

Decorating these mini cupcakes...

A closer-look of my lime sugar

Here's the recipe from the book, Bon Appetit by Barbara Fairchild
(with my modification in blue)

make 12 standard size cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp finely grated lime peel
1/4 tsp neon green food colouring (optional - I didn't add this)
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting (please see below for my modification)
1 1/2 powdered sugar
1 8 ounce package Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp finely grated lime peel
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 standard (1/3 cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then lime juice, lime peel, and food colouring. if using. (Batter may look curdled.) Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternatively with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon scant 1/3 cup batter into each liner.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20-25 min. Cool 10 min in pan. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely.

Frosting: Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

For my mini-sized cupcakes:

• I have used 1/2 of the cupcakes recipe to bake 21 of these mini-sized cupcakes.  
• The cupcakes were baked at 160°C (fan forced) for 12-15 min.

Extra light cream cheese frosting for 21 mini cupcakes:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
80g Philadelphia-brand extra light cream cheese, room temperature

Lime sugar:
1/2 tsp finely grated lime rind
3 tbsp caster sugar
a tint of green colouring gel (I use Wilton brand)
All well-mixed and rubbed with finger tips and well-infused for more than 24 hrs

To assemble:
Spread the cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled cupcakes and coat the rim of the icing with the lime sugar.

Happy Baking

Here are our baking friends that have joined us for this bake-along. Please visit their blogs for their Key Lime Cupcakes.

Please submit your details if you wish to link your post with this bake-along. This linking tool is open from 23th to 28th Nov 2011.

Yummy Soft Biscotti

Unlike most traditional biscotti, these soft ones are not twice-baked and has butter in them.

I must say...Don't be put off by its "soft" description. These biscotti are surprisingly superb! They are super easy to make and very delicious. I've made these several times and they are always a great hit for relaxing afternoon tea-time and all sort of occasions.

 

Here's the recipe from Australian GoodFood magazine May 2011 issue 
(with my modifications in blue)

125g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon
11/2 cup (225g self raising flour, sifted
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (95g) mixed dried fruit (I replaced with sultanas)
1 tbsp chocolate bits
pure icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C, fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Combine butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon rind. Combine flour, sugar, fruit and chocolate bits. Make a well in dry ingredients and stir in butter mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a tea towel and rest for 10 mins.

3. Divide and shape dough into 30cm logs. Place on trays. Bake for 25 mins, until golden. Cool on tray for 15 mins. Dust with icing sugar. While still warm, cut into 2cm slices. Serve.

Note: I use half the recipe to make two 20cm logs.

Happy Baking

Lemon, Dill and Soured Cream Bread

My past two weeks of holidays seems like a couple of months to me. We had a great time in Taipei and Singapore. We have been shopping and eating non-stop for this trip.

Although I hate the feeling of leaving my Singapore relatives and friends, I actually felt good with a warm sunny welcome on the day that I returned to Melbourne. I wonder if this good feeling may be due to the reason that I miss baking.

Now, back to baking...

This bread is absolutely great to eat with fish and salad. This soft wholemeal bread is lightly flavoured with dill and lemon and it has been a great enjoyment eating this with a spread of light cream cheese, topped with grilled or smoked salmon, accompanied with green salad for a light lunch. I would highly recommend this bread if you need a "detox" diet like me after a long trip.

The unsliced bread

Check out the beautiful texture of this bread.

Here's the recipe from the book, Bread Machine Easy by Sara Lewis

(with my modification in blue)

200ml cold water

grated rind of 1 lemon

150g full fat creme fraiche (replaced with 35% fat sour cream)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns

2 tbsp chopped dill (I use the dried ones)

2 tbsp chopped parsley (I didn't add this)

500g strong wholemeal flour

1 tsp caster sugar

1 1/4 tsp fast action dried yeast

Lift the bread pan out of the bread machine and fit the kneader blade. Add the water, lemon rind and creme fraiche (sour cream). Spoon in the salt, pepper and herbs, then the flour. Make a slight dip in the centre and add the sugar and yeast.

Insert the pan into the bread machine. Shut the lid and set to a 750g loaf on a wholewheat setting with preferred crust setting. Press start.

At the end of the programme, life the pan out of the machine using oven gloves. Loosen the bread with a plastic spatula, turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Note: Using 2/3 of the recipe, I've made this loaf using a 10 cm x 20 cm loaf pan. I placed all my ingredients into my bread machine and use "dough" setting to knead and prove the dough. At the end of programme, the bread dough is removed, shaped and further proved for 50-60 min. This loaf was baked at 180°C fan forced for 30 min. 

To create a "stronger" wholemeal flour, I've added 25g of gluten flour into 330g of my wholemeal flour.

Happy Baking