Anyone who plants zucchini in their garden usually ends up with more zucchini than they know what to do with. I have found ways to deal with them – for example I make a huge batch and after eating some I end up canning ratatouille so I have it to use in the winter. It is a delicious addition to risotto. I also use zucchini in a ratatouille tart which is a very tasty and even better the second day. But one of my favorite things to do is to bake with shredded zucchini. One year I made pumpkin zucchini cookies and they were yummy. But every year I make zucchini bread – some to eat and some to freeze for later. I use a basic recipe from my favorite cookbook (affiliate link) Secrets of a Jewish Baker and change it up just a little bit.
Spiced Zucchini Bread
2 cups of sugar 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil 3 cups grated zucchini (12 to 16 oz) 4 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp cardamom 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
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Grease three 8″ or 9″ pans. I used 10 x 5″ Chicago Metallic pro 1 lb bread pans so I only made two loaves. I love these pans; they make a beautiful loaf of bread.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg.
Into the bowl of a stand mixer like a KitchenAid add the sugar, oil and zucchini. Mix them well and then add the 4 eggs, one at a time.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.Â
Divide the batter between the prepared pans and sprinkle the top with sugar in the raw.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack before removing from the pans.
How Was the Spiced Zucchini Bread?
Adding the additional spices really takes this bread to the next level. Of course if you are looking for a traditional zucchini bread recipe you can just skip all of the extra spice. Also you can use raisins instead of dried cranberries. I just happen to like the little bit of tart that they add to the bread. That’s what is so wonderful about a recipe like this. It’s versatile.
