Everyday GF Vegan Zucchini Cake

I like recipes that are fast, easy, forgiving and provide a good result every time. This not-too-sweet cake has become a staple at our house this Fall and we have been eating up all of the huge zucchinis my husbands garden has provided. If you don't want to make this huge of a batch, divide it by 2 for a more normal sized recipe.

This cake is gluten-free, egg-free (vegan) and also refined sugar free. I call it Everyday Cake because we eat it everyday and sometimes for more than one meal (breakfast, snack and/or dessert). The final product is not terribly sweet and my kids like to serve it with a thin layer of nut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup (very fancy!). For dessert or a decadent breakfast, I like the kids' version plus some thinly sliced fresh organic strawberries on  top which is both delicious and visually stunning. My husband enjoys it plain every time. My brother in law likes it with a smear of butter. You can add sugar or more maple syrup if you like your cake sweeter. Make it your own. Besides eating this every day, the "big batch" started by grating a big (at least as big as the one on the left pictured above) zucchini and filling my Cusinart container with grated zucchini. I don't bother measuring the zucchini, but I think it's about 8 cups and you don't have to have exactly the right amount. Maple syrup and zucchini both bring a lot of moisture to the recipe so bake it on a low level (325 degrees F) and leave it baking long enough to have a clean knife and to be not soggy.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees,
Grease cake pans (I use coconut oil), bread pans, cast iron pans, muffin tins, whatever floats your big batch zucchini cake boat.
 Mix dry ingredients:
4 cups amaranth flour
4 cups millet flour
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup flax meal and/or blended chia seeds (This is your the egg replacer, sometimes I use a more than 1/2 cup)
1 rounded Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cinnamon (use less or more. I never really measure this, but sprinkle or dump depending on my whim)
1 tsp salt
Add wet ingredients:
1 extra large zucchini grated (approx 8 cups or a Cuisinart food processor filled with large-gauge grated zucchini, size is flexible)
3 cups maple syrup
1.5 cups melted coconut oil (I've used avocado oil, too)
Add 1 cup sugar if you want a sweeter cake.
Mix all ingredients. The batter will be stiff. This is good! The zucchini will release a lot of moisture while it's baking so you don't want to add more liquid. Don't expect it to look like cake batter. For baking, I use a large cake pan (9x13), medium cake pan (8x12) AND either a 8" or 10" cast iron pan depending on the size of the particular batter. I set my timer for 35 minutes and the small cast iron is sometimes done in that time. Then I add more time as needed for the bigger pans. Adjust bake time depending on the size of your pans. Maple syrup holds moisture in baked goods and zucchini is watery so the trick of this recipe is watching for it to be baked and dried out without getting overcooked and chewy.  I use both upper and lower racks for my big batch and rotate the top and the bottom pans after the first 35 minute timer.

Serve plain or with toppings you enjoy.