[Gluten Free] Chocolate Zucchini Cake

There are days where I almost feel as if I've got zucchini coming out my ears so I've been working on recipes that use zucchini. I've substituted shredded zucchini for the spinach in my baked meatballs, made up a roasted veggie pasta dish with zucchini, and even made a GF blueberry lemon zucchini cake with lemon cream cheese frosting (which is SO delicious and you can't eve tell that it's GF). When I signed up to bring snacks for a fundraiser, I just knew that I needed to try something with zucchini. Since the fundraiser was a bike ride with three different options (10 mile route, 20 mile route, and 40 mile route), I needed to make a carb-loaded finger food. I opted to play around with my blueberry lemon zucchini cake and make chocolate zucchini cupcakes. Sorry that their isn't a picture but I forgot to take pictures before the fundraiser and they were gone afterward. I will try to get pictures the next time I make it! :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (coconut, canola, etc. as long as it's in liquid form)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup water (or cold coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor)
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups shredded zucchini or summer squash
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used a specialty dark chocolate balsamic vinegar)
• 2 3/4 cups gluten free pastry flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips, nuts, etc. (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a large bowl, combine your wet ingredients (sugar, oil, applesauce, water/coffee, eggs, balsamic vinegar, and zucchini).
3. In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients (pastry flour, cocoa powder, xanthum gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt). 
4. Add your dry ingredients to your wet and whisk for a minute or two. 
5. Stir and divide into two greased and floured 9" round baking pans (or 2 greased 12 count cupcake pans).
6. Place in your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until tops are lightly browned and a toothpick (or cake tester) place in the middle of the cake comes out clean (15-20 minutes for cupcakes). 
7. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When your cake layers are cool enough to handle, remove them from their pans and place them on cooling racks till they are ready to frost. While your cake cools, prep your favorite frosting recipe. 

This would make a fabulous birthday cake or cupcakes!