Category: Breakfast

Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

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Yield: Two loaves

Who knew that vegetables could be so subtly sweet, very moist, and pair well with coffee, tea and ice cream? This quick bread is a double hit of chocolate with a hint of orange and a sweetened cream cheese filling. It’s a great way to use up that extra zucchini that seems to be sprouting out of my garden right now.

Serve at room temperature, reheated or even chilled. This bread is more like cake and suitable for breakfast, coffee breaks, and a quick dessert. Imagine it ala mode…sigh.

  • Coming out of the oven
  • Slice of heaven

Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Chocolate Zucchini quick bread with a subtle orange vanilla cream cheese filling
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2 Loaves

Equipment

  • 2 each 9 X 5 loaf pans (1.5 quart)
  • Mixing bowls
  • Citrus Zester or Microplane Grater
  • Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Cake tester or toothpick

Ingredients
  

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 tsp Orange zest
  • 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 large Eggs

Chocolate Batter Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 6 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed

Chocolate Batter Wet Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Oil
  • 3 large Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 3 cups Zucchini, shredded
  • 1 zest Zest of 1 whole Orange

Add In

  • 3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions
 

  • Grease and flour two loaf pans
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Make Cream Cheese Filling: Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in sugar, orange zest and flour until smooth. Add egg and beat until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
  • Make chocolate batter: Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla until creamy. Stir in sour cream, zucchini and orange zest. Add dry ingredients and mini chocolate chips. Stir just til moistened, being careful not to over beat.
  • Spread 1/4 of the batter in the bottom of each prepared pan.
  • Add 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture on top of chocolate batter in each pan.
  • Divide remaining chocolate batter pour over the cream cheese mixture in each pan. The cream cheese mixture should be mostly covered with the top layer of chocolate batter.
  • Bake the loaves at 325 degrees for 60-80 minutes. Check after 60 minutes because oven temperatures and loaf pan sizes and materials can vary.
  • When the bread is done, a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf, in the chocolate will come out clean. Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing to cooling racks to finish cooling.
Keyword cake, chocolate, Cream cheese, orange, quick bread, vanilla, zucchini

Beignets

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I’ve often wanted to try a hand at donuts at home, and when I started reading up on Beignets, they seemed to be the right place to start. Simple shapes, made from rolled sweet dough, fried and dusted with powdered sugar. When I explore new techniques, I try to learn the basics before moving on. The basics are typically the things I return to time and again, after playing with more inventive versions with unique ingredients. The original generally remains the gold-standard and favorite. This is an old, long standing recipe found in many books and internet recipe sites. I’ve scaled it to 1/2 the recipe usually posted as this still makes more beignets than a small family can eat. The recipe can be doubled easily.

Powder sugar coated pillows!
1 hour and 50 minutes – dough is risen
Rolled, cut and resting
Golden brown and ready to remove from fryer.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 (.25-ounce) (or 7 g) packet active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 3/4 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • corn oil or any flavorless oil , for frying
  • powdered sugar , for dusting

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl (I do this in my stand mixer bowl) combine lukewarm water (90-100 degrees Farenheit) and yeast. Let it sit until dissolve for about 5 minutes.
  2. Lightly whisk eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla extract , salt and sugar. Add to the yeast mixture.
  3. Mix in about 2 cups flour and continue mixing with hand or dough mixer. Using a stand mixer for about a minute or 2.
  4. Finally add melted butter, mix until dough is sticky but smooth. Add in additional flour to make soft dough. Add a bit at a time until it achieves a soft consistency. If using a dough mixer becareful not to overmix.
  5. Turn dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes. Add flour a tablespoon at a time, and knead in if dough is too sticky.
  6. Place dough in a greased (I use butter) bowl, turning once to coat the dough with butter. Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 2 hours or until doubled.
  7. Begin heating avocado or peanut oil in a dutch oven or deep fryer. These oils have a high-smoke point. Heat oil to 375 degrees.
  8. Punch the dough down and remove the dough from the bowl.
  9. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into ¼ – 1/3 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 1 1/2 or 2″ squares or diamonds. Let dough rest for about 10 minutes before frying.
  10. While dough rests, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and papertowels for draining the fried beignets.
  11. Check the oil with a candy thermometer to insure it has come to 375 degrees.
  12. Working with 4 – 6 dough pieces, so as to not crowd the oil, fry the dough squares until they are puffy and golden brown. Remove from the oil, drain onto paper towels, and immediately dust with powdered sugar.