two cakes are better than one

It's definitely full-on summer now - the crepe myrtle in the front yard is blooming, the purple coneflower are tall and leggy, and little Isadora turns two tomorrow. The impossibility of that aside, another sign of summer's vintage is the appearance of large and/or extreme produce. Big tomatoes, huge basil plants, and, of course, giant zucchini. A friend gave me this giant zucchini when I was home in Ohio, and when Brian brought our CSA box home this week, we were shocked to learn that it contained FOURTEEN cucumbers! What in the world, you may ask, do you do with 14 cucumbers? I'll be answering that question in a few days, so stay tuned.

One of the reasons I received the giant zucchini was for making two birthday cakes for the joint birthday bash we held on Sunday afternoon for Brian and Dora. Although the rain absolutely poured down all morning, the clouds miraculously parted mid-afternoon and we had beautiful weather. The party was a total success, with many naked children joyfully running around the backyard, friends sharing wonderful food and the bounty of summer, and all of us enjoying some great jazz provided by Frank Southecorvo and Bill Gerhardt. The cakes were a hit, too, so here are the recipes for you to try the next time you end up with a giant zucchini.

Zucchini Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook
Note: I find Betty Crocker's New Cookbook to be a great starting point for traditional baked goods, although I've found and enjoyed many other dessert and baking cookbooks. I always adapt the Betty Crocker recipes, however, by lowering the amount of sugar, using high-quality ingredients, and replacing about half of the flour with whole wheat flour.

Cake:
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup minus 1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup coarsley chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan (or two round cake pans).

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs in large bowl until blended. Beat in vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to large bowl and mix until blended. Stir in zucchini and walnuts. Pour into pan. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes (30 - 35 minutes in round pans), or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
seeds from 1 vanilla bean (split and seeds removed with a sharp knife)
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add vanilla bean seeds and mix until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar to taste.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake adapted from recipe given to me by Candida and Cecilia Rinaldi; frosting adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook


Cake:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup minus 1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325. Oil a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan and lightly coat with cocoa powder. Cream sugar, butter, and vegetable oil. Add eggs and sour cream and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to wet ingredients. Mix until combined and stir in zucchini. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Add melted chocolate and mix until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar to taste.

Cut both cakes into squares and feed to wildly happy naked children in your backyard. Enjoy!