Vegan Zucchini Cake

Zucchini cake must be one of life’s better jokes. Grate this humble vegetable, a marrow grown in abundance, fold into a sweet, flour ‘n’ oil recipe and voila – a *healthy* cake.

This latest was baked at the weekly Food Not Bombs kitchen, so large quantity. A 1/4 of the recipe would do a standard loaf pan.

Preheat your oven to 425F

Oil and flour a large baking pan. Ours was about 12 X 18.

Coarsely grate 4 cups zucchini and set aside.

Sift together the dry ingredients:

• 6 cups sifted, unbleached flour
• 3 tsp salt
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar

In a separate bowl, blend together the wet ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups oil
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 ripe bananas, mashed

Add the wet to the dry, mixing all together.

Then fold in the:

• 4 cups coarsely grated zucchini

The batter should be quite thick, yet very moist.

Evenly spread the batter in the baking pan and bake at 475F for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 375F and bake another 30-45 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the centre of the cake, when it comes out clean the cake is cooked.

While the cake is baking, cook together over medium-low heat:

• About 1/4 cup oil
• About a dozen thinly sliced small crab apples
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• batter scraped from the mixing bowl
• water as needed

When the cake is almost baked, spread the apple mixture on top[ of cake and return to oven at 300F for 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm.

YUM!