Zucchini Bread
MAKES
one 9 x 5 inch / 23 x 13 cm loaf
TAKES
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
This flavorful quickbread is a sneaky way to use up a good amount of zucchini. This recipe is especially wonderful in the late summer and early fall when zucchini is prevalent in the garden or at the market. My version is sweet and cake-like, with a beautiful moisture (and no squeezing or draining of the zucchini required). I like to add chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, but you can leave the out - or opt for chocolate instead, which is also delightful.
INGREDIENTS
332 g / 2 small zucchini, stem end trimmed
170 g / 3 large eggs, at room temperature
175 g / ¾ cup neutral oil, such as vegetable, peanut, or safflower
10 g / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
198 g / 1 cup granulated sugar
106 g / ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
240 g / 2 cups all purpose flour
9 g / 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
10 g / 2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 g / ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
170 g / 1 ¼ cups chopped toasted nuts, such as pecans or walnuts (optional)
Bake This Recipe with Me:
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C with an oven rack in the center. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch / 23 x 13 cm loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater - you should end up with about 2 packed cups / 480 mL shredded zucchini.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Add the brown sugar and sugar and whisk well to combine. Fold in the grated zucchini, and mix until evenly incorporated.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt to combine. Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture, and stir to combine using a silicone spatula. Scrape the sides and base of the bowl well to make sure the mixture is uniformly combined. If using, fold in the nuts.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread into an even layer. Generously top the surface with turbinado sugar. (Optional: Brush a paring knife with melted butter, and draw a long line down the center of the loaf - this will help the loaf split and rise more evenly.)
6. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the edges of the loaf start to pull away from the edge of the pan, and a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 60-75 minutes. (If the top of the loaf is becoming too dark before the end of bake time, cover the pan loosely with foil for the remainder of baking.)
7. Transfer from the oven to a cooling rack and run a small offset spatula gently around the edge of the loaf to separate it from the pan. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a wire rack to cool completely.
NOTES
You can also add chocolate chunk or chocolate chips to this recipe:
Fold in 135 g / 1 cup finely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips at the end of step 3. Finish and bake as directed above.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
