Delicious Moist Chocolate (Zucchini!) Naturally-Sweetened Birthday Cake

Peter turned one year old this week!  So it was high time he had his first taste of cake... almost his first taste of anything sweet beyond fruit.  We gave him his own piece, and he swiped off all the frosting first before digging --- very daintily, I must say --- into the cakey part.

Everyone (except one uncle with super-human veggie detecting skills) said that they couldn't tell there was zucchini in it at all!  There is a lot of sweetener, and although I thought it was delectable, you can decrease it a bit in both cake and frosting and probably still have a delicious product for a family that is not used to sugar.

We never got a really good close-up of the cake!  But isn't that one cute one-year old?

Zucchini Chocolate Cake
(Modified from the Essential Mormon Cookbook)

1 cup coconut oil
2 cups rapadura (sucanat)
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate (about 3/4 of a normal size bar)
1 T. vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

In a large bowl combine oil, rapadura, and eggs.  In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients, then add them to the first mixture.  Add milk and mix well.  Melt baking chocolate in a double boiler (or in your pre-heating oven), until just melted.  (I normally will just put the cholcolate in a glass measuring cup and set it directly in water in a pan on the stove).  Blend chocolate and vanilla into the batter.  Stir in the zucchini.  Bake in a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish at 350 degrees, for about 25 minutes.  Cool and frost!

Honey Chocolate Frosting
(Modified from here)

• 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cups honey
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy (I had to soften mine a bit over the stove first --- but it is a cold winter here).  Beat in the honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.  This makes for a sweet, sticky, spreadable frosting.

You can add 1 pint of cream to this for fluffier frosting, but I think it is really good without.  If you want fluffy, beat the cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.