Deceivingly Nutritious Chocolate Cake? - Yes please!

My brother-in-law is visiting from out of town and staying at my place. I love when he visits because that means there is one extra person around the house that will eat whatever I cook and bake. I was trying to get him to make some suggestions as to what he’d like to have around the house to nibble on. He wasn’t too keen on any of the “healthy” baked goods I suggested. Quinoa Maple Breakfast Cookies? – “No, I don’t like quinoa.” Oatmeal Lentil Cinnamon Loaf? – “No, I don’t really like beans, so I doubt I’d like them baked into a cake. Yuck.” I was starting to feel like it was a lost cause when he suggested, half jokingly, “Make a chocolate cake or something! Can’t make THAT healthy”. Challenge. Accepted.

I ended up making, quite possibly, the most deceivingly nutritious chocolate cake EVER! This cake was full, and I mean FULL, of vegetables (zucchini and carrot). Aside from zucchini and carrot, the cake has cocoa, dark chocolate (which gives the cake a super fudgy texture) and walnuts (adding a little crunch) in the cake. This cake is TRULY nutritious and delicious. Below are some benefits of zucchini, carrot, cocoa, and walnuts, as well as the recipe for this extremely moist and gooey Chocolate Zucchini-Carrot Cake!

Zucchini

- One of the very low calorie vegetables (only 17cals/100g!)

- Moderate source of folate

- Source of antioxidants, such as vitamin C

Carrots

- Rich source of several antioxidants, for example beta-carotene

- Excellent source of vitamin A

- Source of many minerals, such as copper, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus

Walnuts

- Excellent source of omega-3 fats

- Source of antioxidants

- Anti-inflammatory properties

Cocoa

- May lower blood pressure

- May help in immune function

- May help with cognition

- ….. TASTES AWESOME! Need I say more?!

 Chocolate Zucchini-Carrot Cake

Ingredients

- 3 zucchinis, shredded

- 2 carrots, shredded 

- 1/3 cup flour, whole wheat

- 1/3 cup flour, white

- ½ cup rolled oats

- 2/3 cup brown sugar

- 1 tsp baking soda

- ¾ tsp baking powder

-  ¼ tsp salt

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- ¼ tsp ground cloves

- ½ cup cocoa powder

- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

- 1/3 cup apple juice (“pure pressed” is possible)

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a bundt pan. Set aside.

2.     Mix flours, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves and cocoa in medium bowel.

3.     In a separate, large bowel beat the egg. Add in the Greek yogurt, apple juice and vanilla.

4.     Pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture.

5.     Add the shredded zucchini and carrots, as well as the chopped dark chocolate and walnuts.

6.     Pour the mixture into the greased bundt pan and bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean. (This is a VERY moist cake so when a toothpick is inserted, it may not come out totally clean. When the cake settles, it will settle similar to gooey brownies).

7.     Allow cake to completely cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with chocolate icing and enjoy! 

  :-)

- Emily Claire Foster, dietitian student