Chocolate & Zucchini Mud Cake

with Dark Whittaker Ganache

Makes 1 large decadent cake 

​Ingredients 

• 2 cups flour  

• 1 cup raw sugar 

• ½ packed cup brown sugar 

• ½ cup cocoa 

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon 

• 2 teaspoons baking powder 

• ½ teaspoon salt 

• 250 grams Whittaker's 50 percent dark chocolate

• 1 ¼ cups almond milk or other plant-based milk  

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 

• ½ cup neutral oil such as rice bran 

• 2 cups / 300 grams grated zucchini  

• 1 cup coconut cream

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180.C  

2. Line the bottom of a 25cm cake tin with baking paper and rub the edges with oil. 

3. Combine the flour, raw sugar and brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and mix ensuring there are no lumps of brown sugar or cocoa.  

4. Pour the milk into a small pot and break 70 grams of the chocolate into it – this is about 10 pieces if you are using a block of Whittaker's. Gently heat the milk while stirring with a whisk until the chocolate melts. Don't let the milk boil - you are just heating it enough to melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat and add the baking soda, mixing it in well. 

5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the milk/chocolate mixture in, then the oil, and lastly the zucchini. Gently fold all the ingredients together until they are fully combined. Ensure you don’t overmix as it could cause the cake to become dense. 

6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until the edges bounce back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

7. While the cake is cooking make the ganache. Break the remaining chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl. Heat the coconut cream in a small pan until hot, ensuring you don’t allow the cream to bubble. Tip the hot cream over the chocolate and gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache is silky and smooth. Allow it to cool and then place into the fridge to set.  

8. Take the cake out of the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and allowing it to cool completely. 

9. Spoon the ganache onto the top of the cooled cake, using a knife dipped in hot water to spread it evenly, creating swirls as you go. 

10. Store the cake in a cool dark place in an airtight container and eat within 6 days.