Dessert: Zucchini Coconut Cake

Recipe by Kendra My mom has been making this cake for years using fresh zucchini from the garden. It is a family favorite. It's even great to freeze and bring out when company comes.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Nuts, Walnuts

Health and fertility benefits of Zucchini Coconut Cake

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts are low on the glycemic index. What’s more, they also lower the glycemic index of other foods that you eat in conjunction with these nuts. Any kind of nuts provide a healthy source of fat and a great way to encourage PCOS weight loss.

Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped black walnuts (optional)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped black walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease 2 9x13-inch baking pans.
Beat eggs, white sugar, and vegetable oil together until well blended.
Stir flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into egg mixture until batter is just mixed.
Fold zucchini, 1 1/2 cups coconut and 1 1/2 cups black walnuts into batter until evenly distributed.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire racks.
Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Gradually beat confectioners' sugar into cream cheese mixture until frosting is light and fluffy.
Fold 1 cup coconut, 1/2 cup black walnuts, raisins, and vanilla extract into cream cheese frosting.
Spread cream cheese frosting over completely cooled cakes.

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