Makes 16 servings

This recipe was unabashedly inspired by The Market, a deli and bakery in Larimer Square, in Denver’s LoDo District. The Market’s version is called the Spring Fling Cake. Kelli’s sister Karla has dubbed this our Sunshine Cake. We call it a great way to use zucchini. When our friends Jess and Dave had an overwhelming surplus of zucchini from their community garden plot, we were happy to put some of that zucchini to good use and make one of these cakes!

Ingredients:

Zucchini Cake

2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract
2 ½ cups Artisan Gluten-Free Flour Mix
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

Sliced Fruit

1 mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

Directions:

1. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans (round or square). Sprinkle flour into the greased pans and coat the bottoms and sides fully by tipping the pans to distribute the flour. Shake out any excess flour.

2. Combine the zucchini, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a mixer. Add the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stirring until combined. Scrape the side of the bowl and mix at medium speed for 30 seconds.

3. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and gently tap the filled pans on a solid surface (i.e., the kitchen counter) to release any air bubbles in the batter.

4. Bake the cakes for 45 to 50 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool fully in the pans, then carefully transfer the cakes to wire racks.

5. To make the frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

6. To assemble the cakes: Put the first cake layer on a cake plate and frost with a thin layer of frosting. Top with about one third of the sliced fresh fruit. Place the second cake layer directly on top and cover the entire cake with frosting. Arrange the remaining fruit decoratively on top.

Here’s a secret for creating a professional-looking frosted cake: First frost the cake with a very thin layer of frosting. Then, pop the cake into the freezer for 10 minutes, or until the frosting sets firm. This traps any crumbs from the cake in the thin frosting layer. Then frost the entire cake with a beautiful layer of frosting free of any crumbs. Frosting is also a great way to cosmetically (and structurally, if your cake has really fallen off the deep end) fix any imperfections, such as dips, concavities, or other sources of “character” for your cake.

Excerpted from:
Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking by Kelli Bronski and Peter Bronski
© 2009, The Experiment.