Description
Homemade zucchini bread delivers moist, spiced goodness packed with garden-fresh ingredients. Sweet quick bread combines cinnamon, nutmeg, and shredded zucchini for a delightful treat you’ll savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (135 g) shredded raw zucchini (courgette)
- ½ cup (60 g) grated raw apple
- 2 large (100 g) eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml/g) flavorless oil
- ½ cup (50 g) pecans or walnuts
- ½ cup (25 g) dried shredded or flaked coconut
- ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese
- ⅓ cup (40 g) confectioner sugar
- 1 tsp (4 g) pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp (1 g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1 g) salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Position oven rack centrally and heat to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease thoroughly.
- Nut Preparation: Toast pecans or walnuts in a dry skillet until fragrant and golden, about 6-8 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop.
- Moisture Management: Grate zucchini and apple, carefully removing excess liquid to prevent soggy bread.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Using an electric mixer, combine vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and homogeneous.
- Batter Assembly: Fold zucchini and apple into wet mixture, then gradually incorporate dry ingredients until just combined. Gently mix in coconut and chopped nuts.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly. Bake for 60-65 minutes, testing doneness with a toothpick that comes out clean.
- Cooling and Finishing: Let bread rest in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, gradually adding powdered sugar and vanilla. Once bread is completely cool, apply cream cheese frosting as desired.
Notes
- Moisture Management: Remove excess liquid from zucchini and apple by gently pressing with paper towels to prevent soggy bread texture.
- Nut Toasting Technique: Always toast nuts before adding to batter for enhanced flavor and crunchier texture; watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Mixing Method: Avoid overmixing batter after adding dry ingredients to maintain tender, light bread consistency – stir just until ingredients are combined.
- Cooling Crucial: Allow bread to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting and ensure clean, professional-looking finished product.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg