Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake Revisited

I pulled up my chocolate zucchini cake recipe today and realized that it's been exactly one year since I last made it. Wow, things have changed just a tiny bit in the past year. For example, instead of this snowy scene from a year ago this time of year:


We now have these lovely April showers:


And instead of this lovely belly shot:


I now have this little guy, taste-testing zucchini (yes, he ate it. I will be sure to remind him of his early acceptance of raw green vegetables three years from now):


What a difference a year makes! But throughout it all, the chocolate zucchini cake remains, unchanging in its goodness.

Have any shredded zucchini left in the freezer from last summer? Thaw it out and whip this up! It's one of my favorites.

Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake
I like this more as a snack cake - no frosting. But if that's your bag, frost to your heart's content.

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
6 oz. melted dark chocolate
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugars, cocoa, coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, oil, applesauce and melted chocolate; mix well. Place zucchini in a colander and squeeze out some of the moisture with a paper towel. Fold zucchini into batter along with nuts until evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely. Chocolate frosting optional.