Blueberry Zucchini Cake

This week for Weekend Cooking, I have a wonderful cake to offer. The recipe comes from here. A friend posted the link on Facebook, and I made it a few days later. Excellent, delicious, perfect cake! And now a couple weeks later, I made it again. The first time I used 2 round cake pans,

and this time I used a 9x13 pan.

Instead of a cup of oil, I used a cup of melted butter. If you’ve read my letters for a while, you’ll know I am a fan of butter when it comes to baking!

Blueberry Zucchini Cake

 3 eggs, lightly beaten

 1 cup vegetable oil

 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

 2 1/4 cups white sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)

 2 cups finely shredded and drained zucchini

 3 cups all-purpose flour

 1 teaspoon salt

 1 teaspoon baking powder

 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

 1 pint fresh blueberries (you can reserve a few for garnish if so desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans. (I greased with cooking spray)

Grate a large zucchini (or two small zucchini) and place in a clean dish towel. Squeeze until most of the liquid comes out. You will want to have 2 total cups of shredded zucchini after it has been drained. Set aside. (I didn’t do all this. I just grated it and used it)

In a large bowl and using a hand mixer (I used the KitchenAid mixer), beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. 

Fold in the zucchini. (I beat in the zucchini at a low speed)

Slowly add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. (I sifted dry ingredients together first) 

Gently fold in the blueberries. 

Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.

Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. 

Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 lemon, juice and zest of (about 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine butter, sugar and salt and beat till well combined.

Add lemon juice and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minute or until creamy.

Fold in zest*.

*If you are piping this buttercream, I recommend leaving out the zest. (I didn’t use zest)

For the 9x13 cake, I halved the frosting recipe. There are no berries on top because I used frozen this time, not fresh. Whenever I make a cake, half goes to my dear neighbors down the hill - daughter Margaret, her fella Matthew, and their daughter Hazel Nina - and they agree that this is a fantastic cake. They were thrilled when I made it again so soon!