THE cake

This is it. The cake upon which much praise and adoration has been heaped upon by the many that have partaken of its chocolatey perfection in recent weeks.

I may have mentioned the ludicrous surplus of courgette / zucchini that we have been suffering under over the last month. I am actually OVER them. If I ever suggest growing them again, hit me with a nasty ol' marrow. HARD. That ought to knock some sense into me. If another person suggests making some more chutney, or how lovely a zucchini fritter is of a Sunday morning, I will be the one doing the marrow-striking. You have been warned.

Anyway. A friend of mine **waves at Fiona** gave me some recipes for dealing with said surplus, and one of them was this. It is so good that I have made many. I have even frozen copious amounts of grated zukes so that I can make it in the off-season. If there ever is an off season. It seems wrong to wish powdery mildew on your own garden, but SHEESH! Stop the prolificness!!

Will stop waffling now. Here 'tis.

Fred's Favourite Chocolate Cake

125g butter
1c brown sugar
1/2c white sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2c flour
1t vanilla
1/2c yoghurt
1/4c cocoa
2t baking soda
1t cinnamon
1/2t mixed spice
1.2t salt
3c grated zucchini
1/2-1c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 170deg. Line 25cm square tin with baking paper. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time with a spoonful of the measured flour. Add yoghurt and vanilla and mix well. Sieve in dry ingredients and add grated zucchini. Stir until just combined - do not overmix. Pour into tin and top with chocolate chips. Bake for 45mins.

Try it. It even works when you don't measure stuff - I've tried it. I suspect, due to the moistness, that it would also be an easy gluten free conversion.