Zucchini bread
Nothing says summer like zucchini bread. I know we've all been in a banana bread frenzy with the pandemic... it seemed like everyone was making banana bread or some sort of baked good with bananas. Don't get me wrong though. Banana bread is freaking delicious... smothered with peanut butter or just plain with a cup of coffee. But if I had to be honest, I've always had a preference for zucchini bread and carrot spiced things. Carrot cake = one of my all-time favorite cake flavors. Morning glory muffins from Macrina Bakery = my preferred breakfast pastry choice... and guess what? Those muffins are stuffed with shredded coconut, carrots, walnuts, and raisins. YES, I'm the weirdo who loves raisins, too.
But back to zucchini bread... this loaf is my favorite because it reminds me that we're in the middle of summer (duh, zucchinis are in-season and plentiful.. your neighbors are practically begging you to take their extra squash because they underestimated their planting skills). Also, I guess I feel a little less guilty eating zucchini bread, since it's technically a vegetable? Must I also bring to light that this recipe calls for no oil or butter... so basically, it's guilt-free. I can't 100% attest to it being the healthiest thing you'll eat this week (aka it can't replace the nutritional value of that giant kale salad), but, I definitely didn't feel bad calling it breakfast, snack and dessert.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep your loaf pan. I usually spray my loaf pan and also lay parchment paper for easier lifting out of the pan.
Get rid of the moisture in your zucchini. After you grate your zucchini, take a clean kitchen or paper towel and wrap it around all of the grated zucchini. Squeeze as much moisture as you can get out of it.
Whisk eggs, sugar, yogurt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk dry ingredients separately (baking powder, baking soda, flour, and spices). Combine the wet and dry together. Fold in the zucchini. Don't overmix.
Pour mixture into loaf pan. Top with turbinado sugar for extra crunchiness. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown, and when pierced with a toothpick in the center, it comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before lifting it out.
This is a very moist, dense cake because of the zucchini and yogurt. It's not super fluffy. We eat ours warm with butter or plain and cold. This keeps in the fridge for a little more than a week.
