Mini Zucchini chocolate cakes layered with vegan buttercream frosting and using Nesquik chocolate powder. Perfect after school snack or a healthy treat
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These mini zucchini cakes are one way to get kids to eat zucchini and the best part is that they won’t even know you put zucchini in it.
It is delicious on its own and just as great with my vegan buttercream frosting. The cakes are made with natural ingredients because it is more fun to eat it that way.
Last week, I was cruising the aisles in Target looking for some good deals on back to school items. One of the first things I noticed was NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder.
As you know that anything that has no artificial colors or flavors always gets my attention. When I took it home, the first thing I did was to open it and eat a spoonful right out of the container.
Best chocolate powder ever!
It is one of those powders that you can eat right out of the container in one sitting because it is so delicious. No recipe is even required, but, I would make it part of my complete breakfast!
The powder has built-in protein which is music to this aspiring vegan’s ears. In an 8 oz of glass of milk, I can add this powder and get 8g of protein! Protein never tasted so good.
This zucchini chocolate cake turned out to be super moist and very delicious. It is light and airy which is what I look for in all cakes. This is the first time I got my cake perfectly moist and I am so proud of myself.
The secret behind it is applesauce and banana. Getting the right combination was a process but I discovered that 1 medium banana combined with 1/2 cup of applesauce is perfect.
The powder has 45% less sugar than than the leading chocolate syrup which makes it the perfect ingredient in cakes. In this cake, I added apple sauce and bananas to help sweeten the cake naturally.
As a result, I only had to add 1/2 the amount of sugar needed to make cake.
This zucchini cake takes only a few ingredients and its ready in no time. Keep the cake as is and frost it.
Or, make mini cakes out of them.
What is your favorite veggie to hide in a dessert item?
Mini Zucchini Cake Recipe
1)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2) Take 2 small-sized zucchinis and grind them in a food processor. Don’t remove the skin and grind it until it is pulped. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside
3) In the processor, add 1 small banana and 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce. Mix them in the processor until it is completely mixed. Transfer it to the bowl with zucchini.
4) Sift 2 cups of all purpose flour into the same bowl but don’t mix it yet
5) Sift 3/4 cup of powdered pure sugar cane but do not mix. Many stores sell the vegan powdered sugar
6) Sift 1 and a 1/2 cup of NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder, 1 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
7) Add these optional ingredients – 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of roughly chopped pistachios
8) Use your hands and mix the ingredients. Start slowly at first by mixing one side of the bowl. When completely blended, set aside for a few minutes
9) Lightly spray 9″ cake round pan and dust lightly with all purpose flour. Carefully transfer the cake mixture to the pan and gently slam the cake pan on your counter to even it out
10) Place the cake pan in the oven in the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, depending upon about oven. When you put a knife tip into the cake, it should come out clean.
11) Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 45 minutes. Gently remove the pan from the oven and cut it into 3 circular pieces. The first piece is to cut the top. Take the bottom piece and cut it into half.
12) Using a 2.5″ cookie cutter, make circular shapes out of all 3 pieces. Set the pieces from the top layer separately from the others. You will get about 14-18 pieces total. You can put the cakes in the fridge until about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve them.
13) Place one piece on a plate and add a thin layer of vegan buttercream frosting. Add another piece on top and layer with frosting. Top with the top piece and frost the top. Follow the steps for all the pieces.
Serve these mini zucchini chocolate cakes with a glass of milk or by themselves.
Mini Zucchini Chocolate Cakes
Zucchini Chocolate Cakes Layered With Frosting
Ingredients
For the zucchini chocolate cake
- 2 small sized zucchinis
- 1 small banana
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup powdered pure sugar cane
- 1.5 cup NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1/4 tsp salt optional
- 1/4 cup pistachios roughly chopped , optional
For the Vegan Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup vegan confectioners sugar
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 drops vanilla essence
- 1 Tbsp almond milk
- 2 drops natural pink food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Take 2 small sized zucchinis and grind them in a food processor. Don't remove the skin and grind it until it is pulped. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside
- In the processor, add 1 small banana and 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce. Mix them in the processor until it is completely mixed. Transfer it to the bowl with zucchini.
- Sift 2 cups of all purpose flour into the same bowl but don't mix it yet
- Sift 3/4 cup of powdered pure sugar cane but do not mix. Many stores sell the vegan version of powdered sugar
- Sift 1 and a 1/2 cup of NESTLÉ® NESQUIK® Powder, 1 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
- Add these optional ingredients - 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of roughly chopped pistachios
- Use your hands and mix the ingredients. Start slowly at first by mixing one side of the bowl. When completely blended, set aside for a few minutes
- Lightly spray 9" cake round pan and dust lightly with all purpose flour. Carefully transfer the cake mixture to the pan and gently slam the cake pan on your counter to even it out
- Place the cake pan in the oven in the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, depending upon about oven. When you put a knife tip into the cake, it should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 45 minutes. Gently remove the pan from the oven and cut it into 3 circular pieces. The first piece is to cut the top. Take the bottom piece and cut it into half. Check out this cool Youtube video of how to cut cake using dental floss.
- Using a 2.5" cookie cutter, make circular shapes out of all 3 pieces. Set the pieces from the top layer separately from the others. You will get about 14-18 pieces total. You can put the cakes in the fridge until about 10 minutes before you are ready to serve them.
- Place one piece on a plate and add a thin layer of vegan buttercream frosting. Add another piece on top and layer with frosting. Top with the top piece and frost the top. Follow the steps for all the pieces.
- Serve these mini zucchini chocolate cakes with a glass of milk or by themselves.
I LOVE zucchini cake! It’s one of my al time favorites!
Such a sweet little bite! I know I would really enjoy these perfect little cakes. Big bonus they are so full of yummy goodness too, what.a great recipe!
Those are so cute! I am a big fan of chocolate anything and I love that pink frosting.