chocolate chip cake with coconut chocolate frosting

Today was a good food day.

Banana muffins + fruit for breakfast.

Trumpet Blossom Cafe for lunch.

Vegan taco pizza for dinner.

Chocolate chip cake with coconut chocolate frosting for dessert.

Dinner + dessert totally trumped the $50+ lunch we had at Trumpet Blossom. (even though lunch was still incredible delicious).

Since eating a 99% plant based diet, the biggest complaint from my family is that I don't make the fancy desserts that I used to.

I beg to differ.



They complain that I try to make things too healthy. That I wreck a perfectly good recipe that they have come to love but subbing out this for that.



I have no idea what they are talking about.



I am my mother's daughter and that means chocolate is a main food group that must be consumed every day. There is no moderation when it comes to chocolate.



I guess my family might have me figured out though.



Because most of the time, I can't help but make each recipe my own, and sub in a lot of this for a lot of that.

Hey - if I had used cocoa powder like the recipe told me to, I bet you wouldn't even notice the zucchini in this cake.



And once you take your first bite, you'll be thanking me again for being in your life.

This cake comes at you with no dairy products, no refined sugars and 1.5 huge zucchini that a fellow Rotarian + bike enthusiast dropped off at your house on Friday night before heading out of town for a week of RAGBRAI.

Myron and Martha - I would totally share a piece of this cake with you, but I am afraid it will be long gone by the time you're done pedaling your way across the state. But you might convince me to make it again with another zucchini bribe!

Chocolate Chip {Zucchini} Cake with Coconut Chocolate Frosting



You'll need::

• 1.5 heaping cups of shredded zucchini, squeezed really well of excess moisture
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup apple sauce (I blended 2 small pink lady apples until relatively smooth)
• 2 t vanilla
• 1 cup oatmeal flour (1 cup oatmeal, blended until fine)
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour (1/2 cup quinoa flakes, blended until fine)
• 1/3 cup quinoa flakes
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

To make::

• In a bowl, mix together zucchini, syrup, apple sauce and vanilla
• In another bowl, stir together flours, quinoa flakes, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just blended
• Fold in chocolate chips
• Divide between two well greased 6 inch cake pans
• Bake at 350* for 25-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool on racks until completely cooled

Coconut Chocolate Frosting

The best four ingredient frosting you will ever eat. Seriously.

You'll need::

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk, chilled in fridge for a few hours or overnight
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

To make::

• Carefully spoon the coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk into a bowl (save the remaining liquid for another use)
• Stir in cocoa powder, syrup and vanilla
• Try not to eat it all with a spoon, saving enough to frost your cake

To assemble the cake::

• Place one cake round upside down on a cake platter
• Spread just a bit of frosting over the top and sprinkle with chocolate chips
• Place the other cake round, right side up, on top of the other cake
• Spread of thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. This is your crumb coat.
• Place in fridge for 30-60 minutes to cool
• Use the remaining frosting to frost the entire cake - making it look pretty this time
• Press mini chocolate chips onto the sides of the cake
• Eat