This was a cake high on sugar and
Jim LOVED it. Which would have been fine except I also put in two cups of
walnuts and that just tipped over the scale for me. Next time it’s either the praline
icing or the walnuts, but the two together kept me up for most of the night and
only after swallowing a heaping tablespoon of baking soda and two cups of water
was I able to sleep for a few hours. I was thinking there will be no write up
this time and only when Jim carted away the cake to the freezer for himself I thought...
well maybe I should add it to my recipes. I still intend to make a couple of
loaves without the praline and the walnuts, because as far as the batter is
concerned it tasted delicious and the crumb was superb. Passionate Plate’s mama really knew what
she was talking about.
ZUCCHINI PRALINE CAKE
Cake:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Praline Icing:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, cut into small
pieces
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp maple extract
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup nuts [optional]
- Grate the zucchini in a food processor fine and set it aside.
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Fully line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- Place a large fine sieve over a catch bowl. A catch bowl is just a bowl your sieve fits over perfectly.
- Squeeze the life out of the zucchini, which means squeeze, push, press against the sieve to rid the zucchini all of its moisture.
- Place zucchini, eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the cinnamon in the beater bowl. Beat well to combine.
- Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the flour.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pans. For a four layer cake divide the batter evenly, for a three layer cake, scoop a little more batter into one of the cake pans.
- Bake until the cake is set in the middle about 30+ minutes. Even though one cake was higher they were ready about the same time.
- Turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool.
- While the cakes cool, make the praline.
- In a heavy fry pan, combine brown sugar and butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy.
- Pour in the whipping cream and continue to stir and bring it to a boil, but just.
- As soon as the praline comes to the boil, remove from heat and stir in the maple extract. Set it aside until it cools down slightly.
- Rinse the fine sieve and the catch bowl [used to squeeze out the zucchinis] and pour the praline through the sieve to catch any sugar clumps it may have.
- Cut the cake[s] horizontally. For a neater cake, trim off the rounded tops before assembly.
- Place one cake layer on a cake plate and pour some of the still warm icing on the top. Spread the icing out to the edge and set the next cake on top. Repeat. Set the third cake on.
- Pour the remaining praline on the top first and the second time pour on the remaining praline and let it drip down the sides of the cake. Don’t touch the top, but the praline that will pool at the bottom can be swept up a little while later when the praline begins to solidify. Dip the spatula into hot water and smooth it out.
- Chill the cake before slicing, but best eaten when the cake is at room temperature.
