SSB Week 7 – Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Crunch Glaze

I made this cake from Dolcen Italiano on Sunday afternoon since we were having friends over for dinner Sunday evening. Some comments from memory, it said to grate the zucchini but I’ve always shredded it in the past when making zucchini cakes (using my Cuisinart), so I wasn’t sure how to approach this. I did end up using my box grater, and used the second to smallest hole to grate the zucchini which came out a bit pulpy and watery but I’m happy to say I actually liked it that way in the cake. You didn’t have “strings” of zucchini as you ate the cake – it just sort of blended into the background.

The other think I loved about this recipe (and from the Grappa cakes), is the suggestion/direction to brush the glaze on. In the past, whenever using this type of glaze, the recipes I’ve used have always said to drizzle the glaze on – which usually ends up with a mess on my counter (if it’s still on the cooking rack), or puddles on my plate (if I’ve plated it). Plus, you don’t get “complete coverage” of the icing around the cake. By brushing this on, it really does create a crunchy coating all around the inside and outside of the cake.

My last observation, the use of the spice combination of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, made the flavor of this cake more reminiscent of fall desserts to us – so while I won’t make it again during July or August – I absolutely know what I’ll be doing with the September, and October bumper crop of zucchini we always get at the end of the harvest.

Chris loved this cake and definitely proclaimed it a make again. Becky too – Sammi, not so much, but I think if she didn’t know there was zucchini in it, she would have loved it too.

Anyway, we’re so pathetic, and this went so quickly that here’s my picture!

Oh – I still need to figure out the WW points but will report back shortly with that information.