Zucchini Bread, Cake, and Muffins

Spiced and moist zucchini cake with a crunchy streusel topping (it's often called zucchini bread but who are we kidding??) These are spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, but feel free to play around with flavors and additions. Since it is spiced it can taste even better the next day when fully infused. You can skip the streusel if you want these slightly healthier! Otherwise the recipe is very fast and easy since it doesn't use butter!

The original recipe, which I modified quite a bit, is here: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6698/moms-zucchini-bread/

Here is the recipe, and pictures of the process are below:

Ingredients:

Batter:

• 1 cup grated fresh zucchini (180 g)

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (215 g)

• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (or 1/2 tsp.)

• 1 1/2 large eggs (75-90 g)

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (100 g)

• 1/2 cup white sugar (105 g)

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (115 g)

• 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Note: If you want less moisture use 1/3 cup oil.

Streusel (optional):

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

• 2 Tbsp. butter salted or unsalted, warm or cold

Directions:

Make the streusel first, if desired:

1. Mix together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon with your hands until well combined.

2. Then mix in the butter with a fork or your hands until it's blended and the mixture is chunky. Freeze until ready to use.

Make the muffins/loaf:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a mold or line a muffin pan and set aside.

2. Grate the zucchini and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, which together the sugars, eggs, oil, and vanilla until very smooth.

5. Then dump all the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix with a spatula until completely combined.

6. Stir in the zucchini until combined. The batter will be wet.

7. Pour or divide into 1 8x4" loaf pan, or 12-14 muffin wells.

8. Bake 12 muffins for 18-22 minutes, one large loaf for 40-60 minutes, or three small 3x5" loaves for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: halfway through baking add half the streusel mixture on top (if you add before baking it melts).

9. Let muffins cool in the pan 10-20 minutes before unmolding. Let loaves cool 40-60 minutes before unmolding.

10. Best served same day, I enjoy eating it with butter. Can keep covered at room temperature up to 3 days. Can tightly cover with plastic wrap and tin foil and freeze up to 1 month.

Here I show how to make muffins and small loaves:

Streusel:

Make the streusel. First combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon like you see here.

Mix in the butter until you get something that is chunky like this. Chill until ready to use (right before baking).

My chilled streusel looked like this.

Making the muffins:

Grate te zucchini, set aside. Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a third bowl mix together the oil, vanilla, eggs, and sugars until it looks like this.

Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture before mixing together.

After mixing the dry into the wet ingredients.

Before mixing in the zucchini

After mixing in the zucchini. Time to pour it into prepared pans!

Muffins:

Before baking. Poured into the well and topped with some stresel.

Before baking.

After baking.

After baking!

Some lovely muffins!

MUFFINS

Small Loaves:

Before baking. I ended up adding the streusel mid-bake and it worked out better!

Mid-bake after adding the streusel.

After baking!

Amazing moist crumb!