Triple Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Sprinkles (#BundtBakers)

Terri of Love and Confections chose this month's theme for the Bundt Baker's --->  SPRINKLES!!  "If it can be sprinkled and used to decorate a Bundt inside or out, then it's fair game" were the guidelines given by sweet Terri. I couldn't be more delighted with this theme.  Sprinkles on top makes everything better is what I believe.  Don't you?!  Not only does sprinkles make ice cream, whipped cream, cake or cupcakes look fancy and pretty but also yummy and special too.  Thank you, Terri for picking such a brilliant theme this month!

Right away I knew I wanted to use the chocolate sprinkles I had in my pantry from King Arthur Flour.  Some sprinkles can have a very bland and stale taste but NOT the chocolate sprinkles from King Arthur.  These chocolate little treasures are like mini chocolate kisses landing on your tongue when eaten.  I honestly think they are the BEST sprinkles ever! Paired with these sprinkles I thought it only appropriate to bake a recipe from King Arthur Flour and I knew exactly which one I wanted to bake -  Chocolate Zucchini Cake.  I had baked this cake earlier this summer and was astonished at how simple and delicious the recipe came out.  It was not only moist but decadent.  Cocoa powder along with semi-sweet chocolate chips and espresso powder all make up the rich chocolate flavor and then the zucchini and sour cream added into the batter allows for a ultra moist cake. This is a cake that you will make once and then make again and again.  You can bake it in a 9x13 or a bundt pan - either way is perfectly fine.

Frost the cake with chocolate chips that are melted onto the warm cake (as the original recipe calls for) or glaze it with a simple vanilla glaze and sprinkle it with SPRINKLES as I did. Either way is delicious.  Also, keep in mind that you can use whole pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour - I used half whole wheat and half AP flour and it gave the cake a wonderful texture and flavor. 

Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake with Sprinkles
                                               (recipe from King Arthur Flour)

Cake Ingredients: 
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cup sugar (I used 1 1/2 cups sugar - I also have used 1 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup sugar with great success)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
2 tsp espresso powder, optional but tasty
3 cups shredded zucchini (about a 10" zucchini)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Vanilla Glaze Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter, melted
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp milk (more or less if needed for desired consistency)
chocolate sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease bundt pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and oil until smooth.  Add in sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda and powder and salt until smooth.  Beat in eggs.

Add in sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt alternately with the flour.  Add in cocoa and espresso powder, mixing until all is smooth.

Gently fold in shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and place into oven.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center.

Mix up glaze while cake is cooling completely.   In a medium bowl combine all glaze ingredients - except for the sprinkles -  mix until smooth.  Pour glaze over cooled bundt and then sprinkle with sprinkles.  Serve with happiness!

br /> Here are this month's "Sprinkles" Bundts:

• Black Onyx Bundt Cake from Living the Gourmet
• Bourbon Walnut Pound Cake from Magnolia Days
• Bubblegum Frosted Funfetti Vanilla Bean Bundt from Baking in Pyjamas
• Bundt Cake Extra Chocolateado from la mejor manera de hacer...
• Celebration Confetti Bundt Cake from Cali's Cuisine
• Chocolate Bundt Cake with Sprinkled Pink Glaze from la cocina de Aisha
• Chocolate Chip Cheese Cake from Tea and Scones
• Chocolate Sprinkles Sour Cream Bundt Cake from Spice Roots
• Chocolate Walnut Cake with Sprinkles from FoodJam
• Confetti Bundt Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting from How to Philosophize with Cake
• Crazy Coco Bundt Cake from Los Chatos Chefs
• Eggless Fingermillet Chocolate Bundts with Sprinkles from Seduce Your Tastebuds
• Eggless Vanilla Confetti Bundt Cake from SimplyVeggies
• Funfetti Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake
• Funfetti Bundt Cake from Recipes, Food & Cooking
• 'Guild the Lily' Bundt from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Irish Butter Chocolate Sprinkle Cake with Ganache from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Jammin' Jimmies Bundt from Noshing With The Nolands
• Nutella Bundt with Nutella Glaze from Food Lust People Love
• Oatmeal Cookie Bundt Cake with Sprinkles from The Spiced Life
• Orange Dreamscicle Confetti Cake from Our Good Life
• Pistachio Sprinkled Bundt Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Red Velvet Sprinkle Explosion Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
• Sprinkled Jelly Donut Bundt Cake from Making Miracles
• Sprinkled Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake from Baking and Creating with Avril
• Sprinkles of Love Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Sprinkled Bundt Cake from The Freshman Cook
• Vanilla Bundt Cake with Sprinkles from I Love Bundt Cakes
• Vanilla Mini Bundts from Passion Kneaded
• Watermelon Bundt Cake from Eat, Drink and Be Mighty

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving Bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest Board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.

FIVE Ingredient Blueberry Brownies

Blueberries.
Chocolate.
Both are my favorites.  Combined together they make magic.  Pure, delicious magic!

And magically, after years of trying to replicate this very recipe I was given the secret to it's success.  Only 5 simple ingredients create these brownies.  FIVE.  An egg, some oil, water, Ghirardelli brownie mix (because that's really the best kind brownie mix around) and blueberries.

I jumped for joy with this lovely, lovely recipe finally in my hands.  I felt as though I had won the lottery, found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and the biggest treasure chest of my dreams were all given to me at once as I walked away with this recipe in my hands.  My prayers had been answered.  Blueberry Brownies could now be accomplished with perfection.

I am delighted to pass on this recipe to all of you chocolate loving, blueberry loving friends.  I honestly think it will change your world in a decadent chocolate, rich texture, blueberry packed loveliness kind of way.

Please pay it forward and whip up a batch of these brownies as quickly as possible.  Share them with as many people as you can.  It is crucial that we spread the love and deliciousness of Blueberry Brownies with everyone in the world.  I really think that world peace can now be accomplished with Blueberry Brownies at our side.  Please help me with this cause.

FIVE Ingredient Blueberry Brownies 

Ingredients:
1 box Ghirardelli brownie mix
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8x8 pan and then line with parchment paper - set aside.

In a large bowl combine brownie mix, oil, water and egg.  Mix until smooth.  Gently fold in blueberries.

Pour batter evenly into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool, cut and serve and spread the love!  

Happy FIVE Ingredient Blueberry Brownie Baking!

Blueberry Shortbread Tart (SRC)

Each month for the Secret Recipe Club I get giddy with excitement.  This excitement is over discovering a wonderful food blog and recipe from said blog that I have been assigned to for the month, through the SRC.  Excitement over such a thing may sound silly, but seriously, it is the God honest truth.  This feeling is similar (I suppose) to discovering a chest of gold at the end of a treasure hunt.  As soon as my monthly SRC assignment comes to me via email, the hunt begins.  I use caution, diligence and great care as I search for that perfect gem of a recipe on my assigned food blog that gives my baking heart an extra beat in its rhythm and happiness in it's song. 

This month I am beyond delighted, beyond excited, and just plain old jumping up and down with happiness to share the recipe that I picked from Mother Would Know.  A recipe for,  Blueberry Shortbread Tart (also called Shortbread Tart with Jam).  Simple, delicious and amazing.  Really, really amazing.  Uniquely amazing at that.  I state this fact of "unique amazing-ness" because the shortbread crust is actually grated, that is right, GRATED, not rolled, but GRATED into the tart pan. Once the crust has been made it is then wrapped carefully in plastic wrap and then frozen in the freezer.  Then after it is fully frozen,  it is then GRATED into the precious tart pan (a pie plate or 9x13 baking pan can also be used), gently patted down into place and then layered with a fruit jam of your choice.  I chose blueberry as that is the fruit that my world revolves around at the moment.  Any kind of jam can be used.  Home made, store bought, whatever floats your boat. 

The best part of this treasure of a tart is that the list of ingredients can be counted on your two hands and the steps are as easy as 1, 2, 3 to make it.  I am a busy lady so discovering quick, easy and scrumptious recipes are definite keepers in my world.  I was able to whip up the shortbread, wrap it up tightly,  place it in the freezer, wrap up a shower gift, do both my girls hair and even change my outfit within a 20 minute period of time today.  Then, 4 hours later I completed the tart within just 15 minutes and popped it into the oven.  For me, baking often gets squeezed into the small gaps of free time.  This tart is the perfect example of such a need. 

Laura, who is the creative master behind, Mother Would Know, has a fantastic flare for collecting, producing and guiding her readers through her vast amount of delicious recipes.  If you like this recipe I am sharing today with you, just you wait as Laura's whole blog has recipes, one after the other, that are mouth watering, unique, beautiful and enticing.  I love the beautiful pictures she uses along with well written language and descriptions that go hand in hand with all of her recipes.  Provencal Vegetable Soup Au Pistou , Balsamic Blueberry Blast, Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes are just a few of the recipes I plan to make from Laura's collection in the near future. 

Huge hugs of gratitude to Laura for "welcoming" me into her lovely food corner of her world!  I feel honored and completely delighted to now have this precious recipe for Blueberry Shortbread Tart and I look forward to collecting many more treasures from Mother Would Know in the future. :-) 

Blueberry Shortbread Tart

(recipe discovered on Mother Would Know)

Ingredients:

2 sticks, unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup jam of your chose

1/2 cup fruit (to match jam flavor) - my addition 

Directions:

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking  powder and salt.  Set aside.

Beat butter until light and fluffy.  Add in sugar and beat for a good 2 minutes to incorporate well into the butter.  Add in egg yolks - beat to combine.  Slowly beat in flour mixture - mix until just incorporated.  

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 2 hours - until dough is completely frozen. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Using a hand grater, grate 1/2 of dough into a tart pan, pie plate or baking dish of your choice.  With your fingers, gently guide grated dough evenly all around your pan.  Tap down slightly.  Place remaining dough in freezer while you spread jam over crust.  Layer with fresh fruit and then grate remaining dough over the jam/fruit layer. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Watch carefully so that edges of tart do not burn.  I used a pie shield (as did Laura) to help keep the edges from NOT burning. 

Remove tart from oven when it becomes fragrant and golden brown.  Cool tart for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  Enjoy!! 

Happy Blueberry Shortbread Tart Baking!

 

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