About the Recipe
p.84 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery
At least once a week, Kacey’s mother came over to the Whipped and Sipped Café. Isobel was another difficult woman in Alene’s orbit, and as soon as she arrived, she usually started lecturing the servers and the people sitting around her about the evils of coffee. She brought her own food in a container that she plucked from her purse.
Alene would politely request that Isobel put away whatever she’d brought. “We sell raw pastries with cashew cream and chocolate pecan crusts and we have brownies made from different kinds of beans sweetened with date or coconut sugar, for goodness sake. We offer every kind of salad under the sun, Isobel. I’m sure you can find something to your liking on our menu.”
“I’m sure you think your offerings are healthful,” Isobel would respond smugly, her chin jutting forward. “But I concentrate on a mostly raw, macrobiotic diet.”
Alene would point out the sign on the door that politely explained their policy of not allowing patrons to bring food into the cafe. Wondering why someone with dyed-red hair, who wore mascara and leather sandals, was so concerned with being natural, she would invite Isobel to order from the raw, the vegan or the smoothie menu. Isobel would pack up what she’d brought, glowering, and grudgingly order a cup of herbal tea.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 ½ cups grated zucchini
1 small tart apple (like Gala or Honey-crisp), seeded and grated
3 eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
2 cups unbleached or gluten free flour
4 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the Icing:
1 cup semi-sweet chips
½ cup almond, rice or coconut milk
½ cup brown sugar
Optional additions: 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 tsp pure vanilla or almond extract.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease and sugar two round 8” pans (a Bundt will need more time but looks nice).
Throw everything into the food processor and blend until smooth.
Add ¼ cup room temp water if batter is too thick.
Pour into greased and sugared pan(s) of choice and bake about 30 -50 minutes until top springs back.
COOL COMPLETELY before removing from pan and icing.
Icing (optional): Zap 1 minute in microwave and stir until smooth. Slather between layers or thin it with water and drizzle over the top of the cake.