Chocolate-Orange Zucchini Cake

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or chocolate chips

GLAZE:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons milk


DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until the are smoothly blended. Add the oil to the butter and sugar mixture and beat well. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel and zucchini.

Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.

Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Drizzle glaze over cake.

for the Glaze:
Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp orange zest, 2 Tbsp orange juice and 2 tsp milk. Beat until smooth.