There is something very satisfying when your children ask you to make a specific loaf again!
Recently I have been playing around with a recipe for a spiced zucchini loaf, something I have wanted to do for some time. So as you can imagine I have made a few over the past few weeks! On the weekend both Tori and Sam said they really liked my last attempt and asked me to make another one … well, that certainly told me that perhaps I had finally got there!!!
The only issue I had was that Tori liked her zucchini in the cake to be a bit more “chunky”, whereas I liked it to be a bit more “smooth”. So in the recipe I have given you both options to please all comers … you can then decide for yourself which option you prefer.
This is what I call an “all in one” cake because you mix everything together in the one process so it couldn’t be easier.
There is quite a bit of spice which I love, and for a slight crunch I added a little Demerera sugar on top before baking, but this is totally optional … my family like the crunch, but it can be omitted if you prefer.
As a dairy free and nut free loaf it is perfect for lunch boxes, and can be made it little muffins too if you wish to have a “play”. Due to nut allergy in my family I omitted using nuts, but I feel sure a handful of walnuts, lightly toasted before adding, would be a gorgeous addition.
NB: Today I made this loaf using green apples in place of the zucchini and it’s lovely … all the other ingredients are the same except I used cinnamon sugar on top (golden caster sugar mixed with a little cinnamon) instead of Demerera sugar … the last three pictures show you the result.
- 300g zucchini, washed, halved and cut into chunks (unpeeled) or
- 300g green apples, washed, deseeded and cut into chunks (need 300g in the TM bowl)
- 180g light muscovado sugar, or brown sugar
- 140g light olive oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 x 59g eggs
- zest of 1 lemon
- 250g spelt flour, or plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bi carb soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes, or ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbls Demerara sugar for Zucchini Loaf, or
- 1 tbls cinnamon sugar for Apple Loaf
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan forced and place rack into middle of oven
- Grease and line small loaf tin (base measurement 22cm x 9cm)
- Place all the ingredients into TM bowl in the order listed
- FOR FINE ZUCCHINI OR APPLE MIX: Blend 20 seconds / speed 4, scrape around sides and blend again for another 5 seconds / speed 4
- FOR SLIGHTLY CHUNKY ZUCCHINI OR APPLE MIX: Blend 10 seconds / speed 4, scrape around sides and blend again for 10 seconds / reverse / speed 3
- Pour mixture into loaf tin and level top before sprinkling with Demerara sugar or cinnamon sugar (if using)
- Bake for 55 minutes, test with a skewer and add another 5 minutes if necessary (it takes 55 minutes in my oven)
- Remove from oven and allow to rest in the tin for 15 minutes before removing to a cake rack to cool completely
- Store at room temperature
- Keeps well for a few days
There is quite a bit of spice which I love, and for a slight crunch I added a little Demerara sugar on top before baking, but this is totally optional and can be omitted if you prefer.
As a dairy free and nut free loaf it is perfect for lunch boxes, and can be made it little muffins too if you wish to have a “play”. Due to nut allergy in my family I omitted using nuts, but a handful of walnuts, lightly toasted before adding, would be a gorgeous addition.
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