Hidden vegetables (Daring Bakers March)

Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results! This is what she said: "Bake a sweet cake, biscuit or confectionery of your choice with a “hidden” vegetable ingredient." I baked a sweet zucchini cake (for the Dutch readers: "een courgettecake") with mixed spice and walnuts. And the zucchini was really hidden, my children were very surprised when I told them what was in the cake :-) The texture was a little too wet, but the taste was great.
The recipe is a translation from http://www.nrcnext.nl/koken/2008/08/15/zoete-courgettecake/

Sweet zucchini cake with mixed spice and walnuts

4.4 oz walnuts (125 grams) (once they're roasted and chopped it should be about 1 cup)

1.1 lb zucchini (500 grams)

2 large eggs

1 cup cane sugar (200 grams)

0.4 cup olive oil (100 ml / 90 grams / 3.2 oz)

2 cups all purpose flour (200 grams)

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp mixed spice (I used speculaaskruiden)

10' loaf pan for pound cake, lightly oiled and floured

Preheat oven to 350/360°F (180°C).

Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 6 to 8 minutes.

Let them cool a little and chop roughly.

Grate the zucchini coarsely, leave skins on.

Beat sugar and eggs together until it looks like a fluffy custard.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder and spice.

Add olive oil and flour mixture to the eggs and mix carefully with a spoon.

Add zucchini and walnuts and mix again, not too long.

Pour batter in prepared pan and bake for 60 – 75 minutes. The crust should be brown and dry, the inside can stay a little moist.

Take the pan out of the oven and let the cake rest for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully turn it over onto a fine rack and let it cool.

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