It’s been a bit of a rainy August around here but that hasn’t stopped our zucchini plant from offering up a new zucchini (or several) every day. I’ve made raw zucchini salads and we’ve had lots of it sautéed with onions and feta, but today I felt like making something to have with a cup of tea in the afternoon. Did I mention that it was raining?

There are more zucchini lurking in there… I swear I heard it say “Feed me Seymour!” 😉
Rather than make the same old zucchini bread, I thought I’d add a seasonal touch with some peach jam and complement that flavor with some almond flour. Peaches and almond go together like rainy days and tea.

I made a glaze for the top out of some peach juice that I collected while preparing some of our own tree’s donut peaches for a pie. It was a lovely pale pink color and very cheering.

 

Peachy Almond Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup mild flavored olive oil
• 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract ( I used the bourbon that I keep my plumped vanilla beans soaking in for several months at a time)
• 1/2 cup chunky peach preserves ( I used my mom’s homemade jam made with peaches and Amaretto)
• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine grind salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cassia cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 -1/4 cups finely grated zucchini squeezed to eliminate most of the liquid (about 1 medium to largish zucchini)
• 1 cup blanched almond meal (I used Honeyville Farms brand)

Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered, confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or Amaretto liqueur
• enough fresh peach juice to make a glaze consistency – use orange juice if you don’t have fresh peaches

Butter and flour a Bundt or tube pan, tap out the excess flour and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Wash and dry the zucchini, trim one end and grate in the fine holes of a grater or use the fine disk of a food processor. Place the grated zucchini into a sieve and let it drain, squeezing it well with your hands until you can’t get any immediate liquid out of it. Set aside.

Cream the butter and add the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and jam. Beat well at medium speed of a stand mixer or vigorously by hand until all is light and fluffy.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl. Use a whisk or a fork to mix them together well. Add to the creamed ingredients and mix lightly but well so that there are no dry bits left.

Add the zucchini and the almond flour and mix well. Place into the Bundt pan evenly and smooth the top with a spatula. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes then rotate the pan front to back and bake for 25-30 minutes more until a toothpick comes out dry and it is firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool. You may glaze it while hot or wait until it cools further. If you glaze it hot the glaze soaks into the cake. If you glaze it cool it tends to stay on top. Or you can not glaze it at all and sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar or leave plain. Your choice. 🙂

Enjoy!

xxoo