Zucchini Coconut Oil Bread: Or How to Re-focus Destructo Girl

Baking isn’t something I do much of in the summer. In fact, as I mentioned to my friend Dani today, all I want to do lately is drink my meals. Before you start judging (or laughing)… While I’m tempted to imbibe large amounts of consciousness altering beverages during these sleep deprived, crazy preschooler-centric days, I’m actually drinking smoothies. Mainly veggie heavy smoothies. Yesterday, two of my three meals were smoothies. It was heavenly.

Of course, after that many smoothies, we all wanted a little something to “stick” to our ribs. Plus, we needed a distraction from the stir craziness that heat advisory house arrest creates for a mom with a younger kids.

Yesterday and today, exhaustion, the frustration of monotonous tasks and the feeling that I never get anything done anymore finally got to me and I felt myself rapidly approaching insanity. First, I gave in to my inner bi-atch and, I’m ashamed to say, was a total grump with my poor kids. Then, I freaked out and cried hysterically for a few minutes. I’m not joking. There. I said it in public!

Annoyed with myself for my lack of control, I took a deep breath and decided to change direction. When my sweet giant baby finally took a nap, I got out the mixing bowls and ingredients to make a sweet treat that would use up the zucchini overload in my fridge.

As I prepared the tools for baking, Destructo Girl came in and said, “Mommy, I would like to watch you cook.” I said, “You bet!”

We had so much fun! Doing something unusual like baking together in the middle of a hot, hot day really changed the whole attitude of our house.

I didn’t intend to create a recipe out of this. I wanted to learn a lesson about self discipline – the art of taking a breath and choosing a different path. The awesome recipe was just a happy accident.

First, I should warn you that because I didn’t intend to post this, my baking time is an estimate. I’ll update the post the next time I bake this. Second, while this recipe uses nutrient dense ingredients that are good for all of us like Coconut oil, whole wheat pastry flour, zucchini, eggs and milk, I consider it cake though most would consider it a quick bread. Nursing mamas will love that it also includes ingredients that encourage more milk – brewer’s yeast and flaxseed meal. The final result is a moist, flavorful and satisfying treat!

p.s. Please, please, PLEASE don’t ruin this recipe by trying to substitute nasty canola oil for the coconut. Ugh. If you need to sub, try melted butter or avocado oil.

*If you don’t want to heat up your house, do what I do and bake this in a convection/toast oven on the back porch. YES!

Zucchini Coconut Oil Cake

Streusel topping

• 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c butter

Cake dry ingredients

• 2 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 c. flax meal (I just whiz some flaxseeds in my coffee grinder)
• 3 T. Brewer’s yeast
• 3/4 t. nutmeg
• 1 t. fine sea salt
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. baking powder

Wet ingredients

• 1 c. coconut oil
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini (not drained)
• 1/2 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Grease and flour two loaf pans. (I used 1- 8.5×4.5×2.5″ and 1-5.25x9x2.75″ because I don’t have matching ones! This, along with my being distracted by three kids, is partly why my baking time is fudged.)

3. In a medium bowl, measure the dry streusel ingredients and mix in the butter with a fork or fingers till it resembles small crumbs. Destructo Girl used her fingers on this step and was integral to its deliciousness.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir together thoroughly. 

5. Finally, in a larger bowl, mix the coconut oil and sugar together till well combined. (I used a hand mixer.)

6. Add the eggs one at a time till just mixed.

7. Add vanilla, zucchini and milk.

8. Finally, dump the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined.

9. Divide batter between the two loaf pans, being sure not to fill more than 1/2 to the top.  (Believe me, I did this over the weekend for my oldest’s b-day cake and it was an epic mess!) This batter is pretty wet looking.

10. TOP with streusel.

11. Pop in the oven and bake somewhere between 45 min and an hour. Ok, I realize this part might freak some of you out – so here’s how to tell if it’s baked all the way. Bake it at least 1/2 hour before opening the oven because you don’t want your cake to drop. I waited about 45 before checking.

You can tell a cake is done using two tests. First, if you press gently into the middle, the dough will spring back instead of staying indented. Second, if it springs back and a toothpick inserted deep into the middle comes out clean (or with just crumbs on it – not wet!), you’re golden. If your cake is already pulling away from the sides of the pan, chances are it’s overdone.

Hope you enjoy this! Let me know if you bake it.

If you liked this post, share it!

Don’t miss out on the conversation. SUBSCRIBE to OM Cafe. It’s free.