Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake

Are you sick of zucchini yet? I sure hope not, because I still have so many great recipes to share with you. It's been a few days, so I thought I could venture into zucchini territory again. I came up with the idea for this recipe all by myself. I had made lemon zucchini bread before. I had made lemon blueberry bread before. I thought, "hey, I wonder if I could somehow combine them and make a cake?" This is the result. And it is a good one. No, a wonderful one.

The cake has just a hint of lemon flavor, and the juicy berries are a great addition. Oh, and the frosting. If you like lemon, be very careful. This stuff is sinfully good. You could put it on a saltine cracker, and it would taste like manna from heaven. I love it with this cake. Yuuumy!In case you are worried about the zucchini. You cannot tell there is zucchini in it. Really. This is the actual conversation that took place as we were stuffing our faces eating it:
Me: "Man, I think this is one of my favorite zucchini recipes yet."
Hubbie: "This has zucchini in it?!?"
Me: "Yep, three cups."
Hubbie: "Seriously?"
Me: "Yes, really. I peeled it, so you can't even see it there."
Hubbie: "You are a genius. You are the most amazing cook I have ever known and I am so glad I married you!"
(OK, I exaggerated that last line, but all the rest is true.)
zucchini recipe-zucchini cake

Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

3 cups peeled and shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp lemon extract (optional)
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups blueberries
Beat zucchini, sugar, eggs, oil, and lemon extract. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in with lemon zest. Fold in the blueberries gently. Pour into a well greased and floured Bundt cake pan. Bake at 325 for about 65 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean. Let sit in pan for 5-10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack. Cool completely and frost with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
3 Tbsp soft butter
3 oz soft cream cheese (I used reduced fat)
2 cups powdered sugar
dash salt
zest of 1 lemon (2-3 tsp)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (approximately)
Beat butter and cream cheese till smooth. Add powdered sugar, salt, zest, and enough lemon juice to make a spreadable consistency.

Here is a picture of it sliced:
You can't see the zucchini, can you? Admit it.

Notes:
-Make sure you peel off all the green parts of the zucchini skin, or people will wonder what the heck the green stuff in their lemon cake is.
-If your zucchini has large seeds, scoop them out before you grate it.
-This cake is best the first day. The berries start to get a little soggy the second day. It's still really good, but not as great as the first day. (Oh, and store leftovers in the fridge if you have any.)

For more great recipe ideas, check out the Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

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