Courgette season is nearly over here in the UK – boo hoo! But there is just about a month left to enjoy seasonal zucchini / courgette and if it’s not courgette season where you are, cut out and keep this recipe for when it is, because it ROCKS. Everyone I have fed this cake to seems to really, really like it.
We Brits would probably call this Courgette and Walnut Cake because for us, it’s a cake rather than a bread. Whatever you’d like to call it, it’s delicious.
I used walnuts from my parents’ legendary walnut tree. Well I say my parents’ walnut tree, but I guess I should really say, the walnut tree in the cul-de-sac in front of the house where my parents live. Is a cul-de-sac a particularly British thing (even though it’s a French phrase) I wonder? Do you have cul-de-sacs in the US my lovely American readers? Everyone who lives in the cul-de-sac shares the walnuts. There are plenty to go around.
There is going to be a BUMPER walnut harvest this year, I saw how many there were in that tree when I was home last time. My dad is very good at shelling walnuts with just the power of one hand. He’s going to be working overtime this year…
Totie was more of a comedienne than an actress, but she has a few credits on IMDB so I feel that she’s found a little home for her excellent recipe here on the Silver Screen Suppers blog…
Totie Fields’ Zucchini Walnut Bread
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 and 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose (plain) flour
3 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini (courgettes) = about 3 medium
1 cup walnuts, ground
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (160 C, gas mark 3). Grease two 8 inch x 4 inch or six 5 in ch x 3 inch loaf pans generously with shortening (Trex or butter). Line the bottom of each pan with waxed paper and grease that. Combine all the ingredients except the flour, zucchini and walnuts in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for about 2 minutes until well blended, scraping side of bowl often with a rubber spatula. Fold in the flour until blended, then fold in the zucchini and walnuts.
Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared pans. Bake on the centre rack until a wooden toothpick inserted in centre of loaf comes out clean and the centre feels firm to the touch. This will be about 1 hour and 15 minutes for the large loaves and 1 hour for the small. Let cool 5 minutes in the pans, then turn out on racks to cool completely.
To prepare in advance: When the loaves are cool, wrap them airtight in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. May be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best flavour, serve warm. Heat the bread wrapped tightly in foil in a 300 degree oven until it is warm through. Served with whipped cream cheese if desired.
I love making zucchini bread…but for some strange reason, I haven’t made a single loaf this year! Yours looks lovely and I think you just inspired me to get busy and get grating! And YES…they DO have cul-de-sacs in America. 🙂
I’d never had zucchini bread before I started this project… It’s not really a “thing” here in the UK. Cake with vegetables in only really started creeping in to the public consciousness in the 70s I think, when cafes went on a bit of a carrot cake craze… But I do love Totie’s zucchini cake, so yummy!
Oh HECK YEAH we got cul-de-sacs here in the U.S.–we’re positively LOADED with ’em! I’m not sure they’re the same as yours though. Ours are round endings to dead-end streets, and they’re usually lined with houses and their front yards. Think, lightbulb with houses around it. Yours looks very nice.
Thanks for the recipe!
I love the idea of a cul-de-sac being a lightbulb with houses around it! Thanks for dropping in Sam…