pat's Recipe

Zucchini Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze

Category: Cakes

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
Coarse salt
2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Orange Glaze (recipe follows)
Candied Zucchini Strips (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush a 6-cup Bundt pan with butter, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze dry in a clean kitchen towel or press in a ricer. (You will need 2 1/2 cups.)

Stir together eggs and sugar, then stir in melted butter, zucchini, and orange zest and juice. Stir in flour mixture. Transfer batter to pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour (cake will rise quite a bit over the top of the pan but should not run over). Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cake cool for 10 minutes. Run a paring knife around edges of cake to loosen, and turn out onto wire rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.

Brush several layers of orange glaze evenly over cake, and garnish with candied zucchini before serving.

Cook's Note
Unglazed cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month.


Makes 1 cake: serves 10.

Orange Glaze

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
Directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the juice, zest, and sugar until thick and shiny.

Candied Zucchini Strips

2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each), very thinly sliced lengthwise, preferably on a mandoline
Directions
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add zucchini. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, with a round of parchment placed directly on the surface, until zucchini are translucent, 15 to 20 minutes. Let zucchini cool in syrup.

Arrange zucchini in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let dry for 1 hour. Use immediately.

Makes about 30 strips