Chocolate and Zucchini Cake

On Saturday, I rode my bike a whole lot. I went to Harvest Health, I went to work (because Friday deadlines are now, apparently, optional), I got a flat tire so I went to the bike shop, and then I went to my landlady's place to drop off a rent check.

All that bike riding made me hungry and the zucchini in the fridge wasn't getting any fresher. I googled zucchini and didn't come up with anything too exciting. Then, inspiration struck in the form of a helpful grandmother.
"Why don't you bake a cake?" she asked.
And so it was, and I was off on my bike again to get some last minute ingredients.

And by the way, this recipe has nothing to do with a certain pretentious-as-all-get-out food blog. I am not and have never been a member of that bourgeois foodie clique, senator.

Ingredients:
3 cups zucchini
2 ripe bananas
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate (or carob) chips
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.















To begin, grate the zucchini into a medium size bowl.















Now mush the bananas up in a smaller bowl. It's easier if the bananas are extra ripe but if you need some help, the back of a spoon works well as a mushing aide.















Mix the bananas, applesauce, and vanilla into the zucchini.















In a large bowl, mix together everything else except the chocolate chips.















Add the zucchini mixture to the large bowl and mix that all up.















It's finally time to add the chocolate chips. Maybe you can eat some if it's a new bag and you have too many.















Once that's all mixed together, grease a 9-by-13 pan and spread the mixture in evenly.















Bake for at least 45 minutes and then use the toothpick trick to see if it is done. The toothpick trick is when you stick a toothpick in the middle -- if there is any residual on it when it's pulled out, you bake it longer.















Once the cake is done, chocolate or vanilla frosting makes a great flourish. I'm really showing off here by making my own chocolate frosting, eh?















Let the cake cool a bit and then slice it up for some friends.















Variations:
You do not have to use chocolate chips or frosting in this recipe. Plain zucchini cake is perfectly fine. It is also perfectly boring and not pushing any culinary boundaries whatsoever.