Catastrophe Kitchen | Zucchini Spice Cake

We might all be mentally turning the page to autumn, but there’s still plenty of zucchini popping up in gardens everywhere. Take a couple from your garden (or your neighbor’s) to make this moist, spiced cake, an ode to the transition between summer and fall. It’s even picky-teenager approved—mine pronounced it “good” and came back for seconds, which is about as high as the praise gets in this house. Just don’t tell anyone about the zucchini, and they’ll never suspect a thing.I chose to use 8” rounds, but you can use a regular rectangular 9”x13” pan just as easily (or even cupcake pans). I’ve included a recipe for the buttercream I used, which is not overly sweet. It’s based on a favorite of mine from sugargeekshow. Feel free to use your go-to standard with one exception: you really do need to add the touch of molasses for that extra fall flavor. Any unused buttercream can be frozen for later use. Under a cake dome, this will last up to a week (although ours didn’t survive that long!).You will need for the cake:½ C vegetable oil3 eggs1 C (or 7.5 oz.) brown sugar2 C or (9.5 oz.) all-purpose flour1 t baking soda1 t kosher salt1.5 t cinnamon1 t nutmeg¼ t cloves¼ t mace1 T vanilla1 shot rum (OR 1.5 ounces water)2 medium sized zucchiniAnd for the frosting:16 oz powdered sugar4 ounces pasteurized egg whites¼ t salt1 T vanilla extract¼ t molasses1 pound butter (4 sticks), ROOM TEMPERATUREStart by heating the oven to 350F with a rack placed in the middle and setting your butter out on the counter. If you’re doing 8” rounds, grease your pans and line the bottoms with parchment. If you’re using a rectangular pan, just grease the bottom of the pan.Grate the zucchini on the medium holes of a box grater (or in your food processor or electric grater, whatever you happen to have). DON’T wring it out—the cake needs the moisture!Add all of the ingredients but the zucchini to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix them together. Once they’re incorporated, mix on high for two minutes. Then add your zucchini and mix just until combined.Pour the batter into your pan(s) and pop them in the oven. Set a timer for 30 minutes (35 minutes for a rectangle pan).When your timer goes off, check your cakes by poking them with a wooden toothpick (the toothpick should come out clean) and jiggling the pan slightly (there should be no movement). If it’s done, great, pull them out. If not, give the cakes a few more minutes.Let the cakes cool IN THE PANS. This takes longer, but it helps them to retain moisture.While the cakes cool, make your buttercream.For this buttercream, you need to make sure your butter is at room temperature—you should be able to push your finger into it fairly easily. If it’s not, just set the butter out and wait a while. You have to wait for your cake to cool down anyway, which could take a couple of hours! So don’t rush it.When you’re ready to start on the frosting, add your powdered sugar and egg whites to a clean bowl and mix them with the whisk attachment until they’re combined. Add the salt, vanilla, and molasses and mix for five minutes. Your egg whites should whip up, and the mixture will be fluffy.Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add your butter about a tablespoon at a time. Some people will tell you to let the butter mix in thoroughly before adding more, but I only wait 5 seconds between additions because I am impatient, and it always turns out fine for me. When all of the butter has been mixed in, your buttercream may look a little curdled. That’s ok! Totally normal. See?Whip the buttercream on high for another 8-10 minutes. At the end of this time, it should be very light and fluffy.  I forgot to take a photo, but you can kind of see how smooth it is in this ACTION SHOT.When your cakes are cool, frost them. Then pour yourself a cup of milk or a nice hot cup of tea and dig in!