Chocolate Chip Zucchini Birthday Cake

Hi Everyone,
Finally starting a blog, since my massive recipe collection is taking up too much paper, and I feel like sharing them.
Just a little about me: I'm studying classical music composition, flute, and creative writing in university.  I'm also crazy about art and cooking, but I can't major in everything.
I love to cook.  It is the one way I really feel the stress of things leave me, when I can make something especially delicious to share with my friends.  I can't say how often I will be posting, but let's just see how it goes.  If anyone has requests for certain types of recipes, just let me know.  :)

 SO............
 Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake!

It's a great cake for parties.  This recipe makes one fairly large cake although you may want to half or double the recipe.  The zucchini is a flavour enhancer, and should not be a problem for picky eaters, since you can't see or taste it very much.  If you think it'll be a problem in the cake reception, just don't mention the zucchini, but the cake really isn't the same without it.  ^^

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Farenheit (160 degrees Celcius).  If you have a convection oven you might want to lower the temperature 10-15 degrees F. 

Butter and flour a 9"x13" baking pan, and place fitted wax paper in the bottom of the pan.

Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
2 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup soured milk

Cream all these together, adding the milk only at the end.

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/8 cup (4 tablespoons) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Mix all these together and add to the wet ingredients.

Now here's the time-consuming part: finely grate 2 cups of fresh zucchini.  There will be a lot of zucchini juice when you're done, so save this separately.  Add the grated zucchini to the batter, and add increments of the juice if more liquid is needed.

Lastly add 1/4 cup (or more if you wish) of semisweet chocolate chips.  Stir the batter, but not overly so.  It should be fairly thick, and you won't be able to pour it.   Scoop batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester pulls out clean. 

Allow to cool.  If you are planning to ice the cake, keep it in the pan and place the whole thing covered in foil in the freezer until just before icing.

Icing Recipe:

2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons milk (add more if needed)
1 tablespoon vanilla
2-5 cups icing sugar, depending on the amount and thickness you desire

If you aren't planning to use a mix-master, make sure to blend this for a really long time.  First cream the butter, then add the milk and vanilla.  When very well mixed, add the icing sugar in 1/2 cup or one cup increments.  More milk may be needed to even out icing sugar.  Put icing in fridge overnight.

This makes white icing.  To make coloured icing, add a drop or two of food colouring.  Too much added dye gives a funny taste, so only use enough to make the colour you need.  For darker colours, expect to have a coloured tongue after eating.

Decorating:

Decide on a design, draw the outline and basic shapes on image-sized paper, and cut out.  Decide on colours of icing and any candies you need.  Separate them by area of the design before beginning to ice the cake. Have toothpicks ready.

Pull out the icing 15-30 minutes before you plan to start icing.  Get your icing kit (or plastic ziploc with a whole in the corner), knives, spoons, and spatulas ready to ice in areas.
 

Pull cake out of freezer and lay onto a foil-covered serving platter (I use a wooden plank).  Lay your cake design over it, and cut around.  Use toothpicks to add extra cake to make a desired shape (but try to remove them before icing if possible).

Ice the cake quickly before it thaws out.  Preferrably ice in lighter colours first, and darker colours after.  For flat icing, use a knife or spatula.  For fancier textures, use your icing kit or ziploc bag with a metal design tip.  If you've got a really strong ziploc (freezer brand is usually good) you can sometimes cut a design for the icing (e.g. 4 small flower petals) into the bag instead of a small hole. 

Afterwards add your candies.  Be warned that you don't want to do this in a boiling hot kitchen, or the icing will begin to melt and the candies will not stay in place.  To avoid getting cake crumbs in the icing while working on the design, use thick knife fulls of icing.  Generally with the icing kit or ziploc this isn't a problem.

So there you go... chocolate chip zucchini birthday cake.  Enjoy!!!!