I 1 the zucchini...

I've been trying to stay ahead of the zucchini, but 2 escaped me last week, and got quite large.  I shredded them, put half in the freezer, and decided to make a zucchini cake with the rest.  I found a recipe that looked good, but decided to replace the oil with applesauce, and add in some freshly grated nutmeg. 

After dumping the oil and sugar in the mixer, I realized I had no all-purpose flour - only bread flour and whole-wheat.  I'm a big fan of whole wheat, and have been baking all of our bread for the last month or two, but I believe in white flour for cakes.  I knew bread flour would be a disaster, so whole-wheat it had to be. 

I'd seen another zucchini cake recipe that used oatmeal, so I used 1/2 c quick oats and 1 1/2 c flour.  I did not have high hopes at this point, so I figured I might as well go all-out with the experimentation, and make a jelly roll. 

I baked it, rolled it, chilled it, and filled it with cream cheese frosting, and everyone loved it.  And except for the sugar, it could practically be health food!

The walnuts I used came from Nutsonline.com.  I had to order pine nuts to make pesto because I couldn't find anything reasonably priced locally, but I was a little skeptical.  Not anymore - I have a walnut tree in my backyard and these nuts were just as fresh. 

Zucchini Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 c unsweetened applesauce


• 2 c sugar


• 3 eggs


• 2 tsp vanilla


• 1 1/2 c whole-wheat flour


• 1/2 c quick cooking oats


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp baking powder


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 2 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp nutmeg


• 2 c grated zucchini (skin on)


• 1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°.  Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or foil, grease and flour. 

Mix the applesauce and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  In another bowl, mix dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture, alternating with zucchini.  Stir in walnuts. 

Pour into prepared pan and bake 15-20 minutes.  Immediately transfer cake to a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Roll the cake up with the towel, and allow to cool. 

Unroll, spread icing over entire surface, and re-roll.  Sift powdered sugar over the top.  Chill, slice, and serve.

Icing:

• 1 8oz package cream cheese


• 1 stick butter


• 1 tsp vanilla


• 3 c powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla.  Beat in sugar until smooth.