SANDRA’S ULTIMATE APPLE ZUCCHINI CINNAMON SWIRL CAKE

One of my favorite creations...

Servings: (14-16)
Prep: 15 Mins. |
Bake: 50 to 55 Mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

***Bundt Cake:
--Granulated sugar, for dusting sprayed bundt pan
1 (12 oz.) zucchini, shredded (1 large, or 2 medium)
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Sinfully moist and spicy

1 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used 20 whole green cardamom pods, cracked with seeds removed, and ground in a spice grinder)
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed, and divided
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder (or regular)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium red apple (I used Fuji), cored, unpeeled, and shredded
1 cup sour cream

Wet, dry, and swirl ingredients

4 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup safflower oil
2 large whole vanilla beans, split, and seeds removed (save scraped beans in an airtight jar to flavor sugar to be used later on in baking recipes, tea, and so on, if desired.)

***Icing:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk

Cooling in bundt pan
for 10 minutes

METHOD

Shred zucchini into colander, and set aside. In small bowl, combine walnuts, cinnamon, and ¼-cup packed dark brown sugar; mix, and set aside. Spray a 10” bundt pan with nonstick butter cooking spray, and lightly dust with white sugar, including around inner tube, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

Removed from bundt
pan to fully cool

Shred unpeeled apple, and set aside.

In medium bowl, with a hand mixer, beat sour cream, beaten eggs, safflower oil, vanilla bean seeds, and 1-1/4 cup packed brown sugar, until smooth. Stir in with a wooden spoon the shredded zucchini, apple, and raisins until blended, and then add to the large bowl of flour mixture; blending just until moistened.

Pour half of batter into prepared bundt pan; sprinkle evenly with all the walnut mixture, and top with remaining batter; tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Release edges of cake with a paring knife, including around edge of inner tube, and remove cake from pan to completely cool on wire rack.

While cake is cooling, sift confectioners’ sugar, and add remaining icing ingredients in medium mixing bowl, and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Adjust for spreading consistency, if necessary, by adding more milk, or more sifted confectioners' sugar. Drizzle and gently spread icing on cake. – Enjoy!

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Tip: I provided links to the whole green cardamom pods and vanilla beans where I purchased them via mail order from the locally owned Red Onion Organic Spice and Tea Company.