If your name is Caroline King, there’s a good chance you have a serious chocolate addiction. We won’t pretend we are the only ones “afflicted” with this “problem” so let’s just say that this is the latest in super rich, dense, chocolatey satisfaction. I can’t remember how I came across this recipe, but I’m so glad I did. It’s slightly adapted, but significantly delectable.

Chocolate Frosted Zucchini Bread

Dry ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini (approximately two medium)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used half semi-sweet and half dark)

Ganache

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups chocolate chips (I used half semi-sweet and half dark)

Instructions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving the ends long so you can lift the cake out for slicing after it has baked.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients together. Sift the cocoa powder to get rid of any clumps. Set aside.
4. Whisk the sugar and eggs together until pale and smooth. Beat in the butter and vanilla, then fold in the zucchini.
5. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet, in three stages, blending just until incorporated after each addition; careful to not over-beat.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.
8. To make the ganache, heat the cream to a simmer, then pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 3 minutes, then stir until glossy and smooth. Refrigerate until cooled and spreadable, stirring every 10 minutes until desired thickness (for me, that was approximately 25 minutes).
9. Once spreadable, frost the bread. The recipe makes a LOT of ganache, so I frosted the sides as well.

-CK 1.0