Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What causes my zucchini bread to fall in the middle? ›

As the bread or cake cooks, those air bubbles make it rise, but because they are unstable, the bread or cake then collapses as it sits. Try mixing with a gentler touch: use medium, not high, speed on the electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, mixing slowly in between each addition.

Cooling the bread on its side on a cooling rack gives the bread's structure an opportunity to stabilize, making it less likely to fall. Oh, and while you're at it — leave your loaf of bread on its side to slice it, which will also help prevent you from smushing the dome.

Don't peel the zucchini – Yes, it's tempting to remove the zucchini's skin, but there is no need to do that. Zucchini melts into the bread, so peeling is just an unnecessary step. Do grate the zucchini – I don't know about you, but when it comes to zucchini in bread, I want it there – but I don't want to see it.

But unless your zucchini is excessively juicy, squeezing the squash could be removing some of the moisture you really do want in the bread. It's up to you, though. Squeeze for lighter, drier bread. Leave it as is for denser, moister bread.

Baking soda is a leavening agent, which means it helps the bread rise by producing carbon dioxide gas when it reacts with acids in the batter. Here's what could happen if you use too much baking soda: Bitter Taste: Excessive baking soda can leave a bitter taste in the bread.

For recipes like banana bread, lemon loaf, or pound cake, your best bet is to bake in a metal loaf pan. Metal is a quick and efficient conductor of heat. This helps to ensure your recipe will cook through the center and not collapse.

Stir in zucchini and walnuts until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 60 minutes.

We'll go over this in more detail below, but in short - If you're looking for the safest way to store zucchini bread - just refrigerate it. Seal your bread in a plastic storage container or plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator.

Generally, bread sticking to the pan is caused by one of two things: the coating in the pan or the temperature the bread was baked. Bread baked too hot will turn out gummy and dense, and will not have that perfect spring you are looking for.

You need 2 cups of grated zucchini for the recipe, so you will need about 3 small zucchini, 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large zucchini.

How many zucchinis is 2 cups grated? ›

A medium zucchini will result in approximately 1 cup of shredded zucchini. If you happen to be using a larger zucchini and the seeds are large, cut the zucchini lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.

When sliced, 1 medium zucchiniyielded about 1 to 1.25 cups and if grated, you end up with about 2/3 cup of tamped down zucchini. If you need 1 cup of cooked sliced zucchini, due to shrinkage while heated it will take about 3 medium zucchini, sliced, to hit the mark.

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices.

Cakes sink in the middle due to several factors, including overmixing of the batter, opening the oven door too soon, or not baking at the right temperature. Expired leavening agents or incorrect proportions of ingredients can also cause sinking.

If the dough was too dry it can form a crust too early before it's had time to rise, then when it begins to rise it forms cracks which then burst in odd places when the pressure builds up. Steam is important in this stage of baking of some breads like sourdoughs so it's a good thing to try and use steam.

Just remove the loaf from its pan or baking stone (once it's cool enough to handle) and firmly thump the bottom of the loaf with your finger. If the bread sounds hollow, then it's most likely cooked all the way through.

It is pretty simple to salvage an undercooked bread and create a decent loaf. Heat the oven to 350 F, return the bread to the oven, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes. This will work even if the loaf has cooled, which is similar to par-baking bread.