Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread

I have bags and bags of frozen zucchini in my, well obviously, freezer.

I shared a Chocolate Pecan Zucchini Cake recipe a couple of weeks ago. Man what a delightful little cake that was. Pretty sure if I was having an "eating my feelings" kind of day I could have eaten half of that cake by myself.

Around the same time I discovered that cake recipe, I came across a recipe for zucchini bread in our Sunday paper.

Yeah, who knew that the Sunday paper has more than the funnies, the Target ad ads, and coupons...

Coupons. Okay I am gonna digress for a minute. Go off on a tangent if you will.

So, the word coupon.

How do you say it?

"Q-pons" or "coo-pons"?

This has turned into to quite the point of casual argument in our house.

Story has it that one of the reasons that Hubby knew it was meant to be between the two of us is that we both said "coupon" the same way. We both said "q-pons". While I am sure my sparkling personality, breathtaking good looks, and innate wifely qualities truly hooked him, I guess this whole saying "coupon" the same way really sealed the deal.

So you can imagine his horror and utter disappointment when sometime in our marriage I, his lovely wife, some how randomly and inexplicably started saying "coo-pon".

Shock. Gasp.

Why? What caused the change? What is a husband to do?

Absolutely nothing. He just has to take it like the good man that he is. With of course the occasional mocking and ribbing to said wife for her "q-pon" deception.

So for me, "coo-pon" it shall be.

Okay, back on topic. Coupons. Sunday Paper. Recipe. Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread.

I came across this recipe, published by our local baking/kitchen store The Prepared Pantry,  while going through our Sunday paper.

I happened to have cinnamon chips already on hand. Cinnamon chips that I had purchased from that very store. Cinnamon chips that were used in my very Pinterest famous Cinnamon Churro Chex Mix (not only is this my most viewed recipe, but this is also my most viewed post EV-AH). You all really like yourselves some Chex Mix.

Since I had the cinnamon chips on hand, and the recipe called for cinnamon chips, I decided it was the baking universe telling me that I must make this bread. The fact that I needed to get rid of some more zucchini also had a teeny weeny influence.

I love pretty much everything about this bread.

I love the texture. I love the cinnamon chips. I love the subtlety of the zucchini. I love that there is zucchini in it so I can feel minimally better for eating half a loaf by myself. I love that this recipe makes TWO loaves so that no one is super mad that I ate half a loaf by myself because there is plenty to share.

I love this bread. The family loves this bread. The friends who I make eat it with me, love this bread.

Definitely add this recipe to your quick bread arsenal.

Also, remember stock up on cinnamon chips now since they are a seasonal item in the regular grocery stores and the season is now. The good news is that if you can't find them in your local grocery store. You can order them online at stores like The Prepare Pantry. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing?

Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread
The Prepared Pantry

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 325.

In the bowl of your mixer, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until combined. Fold in the sour cream, oil, and zucchini.

Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix in mixer until just combined. Stir in the cinnamon chips. Do not stir anymore once the chips are incorporated.

Pour the batter into two well greased loaf pans (aprox. 8 1/2x4 1/2). Bake for 55-65 minutes or until done. Cool for 10 minutes on a rack. Remove loaves from pans.

Admire. Slice. Serve. Devour. Repeat.

Enjoy. Thanks for reading!

Chocolate Pecan Zucchini Cake

Heaven.
Help.
Me.

Yum and double yum. I will take two pieces...okay twist my arm, three.

Recently I was the lucky recipient of a giant zucchini. GIANT. My friend was probably relieved I took this off her hands, but since zucchini can make me stuff like this cake, I will gladly accept any zucchini dropped on my doorstep.

I better be careful what I wish for. A girl can only really use so much zucchini. I have already used it in cake and bread. Muffins are probably in the horizon. I have used mixed it into a family favorite taco bake. I paired up zucchini with yellow squash and made a squash bake. My freezer might also have some bags of shredded zucchini resting for a rainy day.

This cake would make any day splendid. The chocolate cake is moist and perfectly cakey. But what really takes the cake...whew man I am funny...

Sorry.

Continue. Okay what takes the cake, or should I say tops the cake, is what makes this cake.

That was a really confusing way of saying the brown sugar, pecan, and milk chocolate chip mixture on top of this cake is glorious.

Zucchini, have you met brown sugar, pecan, and milk chocolate?

You haven't?

Well, let me introduce you...you will be fast friends.

Do you have some extra zucchini? Do you have a neighbor who has been begging and pleading for you to take their extra zucchini?

My suggestion. Take it. Shred it. Make this cake.

Then eat this cake.

Chocolate Pecan Zucchini Cake
Jamie Cooks It Up

Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix softened butter, oil, sugar, and eggs until creamy. About 3 minutes.

In separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda.

Pour buttermilk and vanilla into the wet mixture. Then slowly incorporate the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Now stir in the zucchini until combined.

Pour into a well greased 9x13 pan. Smooth the batter evenly in the pan.

Mix up the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. DO NOT over bake. Even with zucchini in it, it will dry out if you cook it too long.
The cake will be done when a toothpick comes out cleanly.

This cake is great warm. Great later that night. Great days later. If you can keep it around that long, that is.

Happy zucchini using!