If you haven’t yet jumped on the Instant Pot® bandwagon, and are interested in saving time in the kitchen, now is the time. Since I’m an appliance junkie, I purchased one right when I first heard about these wonder pots, and as I’ve been testing recipes over the last several months, I’m hooked. Instant Pots (and other brands of similar appliances) do the work of 5-8 appliances, depending on which model you choose. Most importantly, they do the work well. The main function is, however, a pressure cooker, which, in the past, has been a bit intimidating for some because of horror stories about early models. They are now extremely safe, and once you make a few things in yours, you’ll realize that pressure cooking is extremely easy, fast, and fun. Believe it or not, the following decadent Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake is made on the “Cake” function and it is one of the moistest, chocolately cakes around. It can be served either warm or at room temperature, and should be slathered with real whipped cream.

The batter is very simple to make, and rather than heat up the oven, the cake bakes in the Instant Pot under pressure. If you don’t have an Instant Pot or equivalent, you can simply scrape the batter into a greased and parchment lined slow cooker (3-5 quart), cover, and “bake” on low for 2-3 hours. The zucchini disappears, and simply keeps the cake moist – nobody will know it’s there. Zucchini is so ubiquitous during the summer months, this cake is perfect for using it up. Another bonus is that this is just one layer and needs no frosting, just a bit of cream.

8 Servings

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons milk

1 cup finely grated zucchini

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

1. Spray a 7" springform pan with non-stick spray; line with parchment.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl; add the eggs, vanilla, and milk and beat until smooth.
3. Mix in the zucchini.
4. Place a fine strainer over the mixture; measure the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into the strainer and shake through.
5. Mix well, scraping the sides once or twice.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
7. Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot; place the trivet in the pot and put the springform pan on the trivet.
8. Cover the pot, insure that the valve is set to sealing, select the "cake" setting (or if not available the pressure setting), and program for 28 minutes on high pressure.
9. When the cycle is finished, let sit 15 minutes before releasing the pressure.
10. Remove the cake from the pot and let cool 10 minutes or so before removing the sides of the springform pan and sliding the cake onto a serving platter. Serve wedges warm or room temperature with sweetened whipped cream.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 361 Calories from Fat 143
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 40% Protein 4% Carb. 56%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 16 g
Saturated Fat 9 g
Cholesterol 70 mg
Sodium 308 mg
Total Carbohydrate 50 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 19 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A 8% Vitamin C 3% Calcium 0% Iron 4%