Honey & Almond Zucchini Cake

What!? Honey in a sugar-free baking book!? Believe me, I know honey is pretty much just sugar and I treat it as such. I spent a long time tossing up whether to included this recipe in the book and decided to leave it in because a zucchini and almond cake doesn’t sound as good. AND I’ve included a honey-free variation so that if you do want to keep your cake completely sugar-free you can. Plus it’s only 2 tablespoons in the whole cake.

serves: 6-8
takes: 70 minutes
400g (14oz) zucchini
250g (9oz) almond meal
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia powder*
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
100g (3.5oz) neutral flavoured oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line a loaf pan 24cm x 12cm (approx 9in x 5in) with baking paper.

2. Grate your zucchini (I use my food processor). Mix zucchini, almond meal, stevia, baking powder, honey, eggs, oil and vanilla (if using) in a medium bowl or just add it to the food processor. Mix with a spoon to combine but don’t stress if you end up with a few lumps.

3. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the cake is deeply golden brown and feels springy. And a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. The honey will cause it to brown more than you’d normally expect.

4. Cool in the tin before serving.

Variations

honey / sugar-free – replace honey with an extra teaspoon vanilla extract to make 2 teaspoons total.

*important note about stevia! – there are 4 types of stevia:
1. Pure Stevia Powder – looks like icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar. It’s expensive but a tiny amount goes a long long way. We’re talking 1/8 teaspoon to sweeten a whole cake. This is what I use.
2. Granular Stevia (like Natvia or Truvia) – looks like regular white sugar. It’s a blend of erythritol and stevia. Usually 1/4 teaspoon = 4-6 tablespoons granular stevia.
3. Fresh or Dried Stevia Leaves – from a real stevia plant! I haven’t baked with them but they will behave similar to the pure stevia powder. Just add to taste.
4. Liquid stevia. I haven’t used this. But add to taste.

granular stevia – replace pure powder with 4-6 tablespoons granular stevia.

no stevia – use you favourite sweetener… Honey, maple syrup, xylitol or white sugar! Just add and taste until you’re happy with the sweetness level.

sugar lovers – use 75g (3oz) sugar instead of the stevia. If you like things on the sweeter side double the sugar.

nut-free / budget – replace almond meal with plain (all purpose) flour. Reduce baking time to 25-30 minutes. Or replace almond meal with finely ground sunflower seeds (I use a little coffee grinder) – no need to change the baking time.

different veg – zucchini is my favourite because it’s low carb and mild in flavour. But feel free to experiment with carrot, parsnip, sweet potato or butternut squash.

muffins – divide mixture between 8-10 lined holes in a 1/2 cup muffin tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

round cake – use a 20cm (8in) round cake tin. Baking time should be closer to 40 minutes.

extra pretty – sprinkle with a handful of whole or sliced almonds before baking like I have in the picture.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

zucchini – will keep for 2 weeks or longer in a plastic bag in the fridge. To keep it even longer, cook sliced zucchini in a little butter until just soft then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

almond meal / stevia powder / baking powder / honey / oil / vanilla extract – keep them in the pantry.

eggs – will keep in the fridge for weeks or use for another meal.

Shelf Life / Storage

Can be kept for 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps for months in the freezer. I like to slice before freezing and defrost slices in the toaster (really delicious with lashings of butter or ricotta) but it can make a mess of your toaster!