3 - 28 g squares of dark chocolate (about 1 ounce each)
1/4 cup of cooking oil
1 1/4 cup sifted all purpose white flour
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of softened butter
3/4 cup of sugar
2 medium eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon of real vanilla extract
1/4 cup of buttermilk (not low fat)
1 1/2 cup summer squash, grated (zucchini squash works well)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F).
Coarsely chop the 3 squares of dark chocolate.
Butter a 22 cm cake pan (9 inch) and evenly and lightly sprinkle some of
the cocoa powder in it.
Use a double boiler (you can use a sauce pan if you don't have a double
boiler) to melt the dark chocolate in the cooking oil. Do this over low
heat and be sure that you do not burn or scorch the mixture.
Into a mixing bowl, sift together the baking soda, the salt, the baking
powder and the unsweetened cocoa powder.
In a separate mixing bowl, cream the white sugar and the softened butter
together until they are airy and light. Add one of the eggs and beat the
mixture together well. Add the other egg and beat again. After you have
added both eggs and beatent them well, add the vanilla extract and beat
it in well.
To that mixture, add the mixture of sifted flour from above along with
the buttermilk and beat them until they are blended very well. Next,
fold in the oil and chocolate mixture from above along with the grated
squash.
Move this mixture into the cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for
about 40 minutes. Check it at around 35 minutes to see how it is
progressing. Do the toothpick test: insert a wooden toothpick into the
center of the cake and if it comes out clean, you chocolate summer
squash cake is done.
As with most any other cake, pull the cake pan from the oven and set it
on a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes. Turn the
pan upside down and allow the cake to fall out on the rack (gently) and
then allow it to cool down completely.
This dark chocolate and summer squash cake is fine served as is, but if
you want you can add your favorite frosting (canned or homemade) or dust
it with powdered sugar or top it with fresh fruit.
