The birthday zucchini cake

There is this yummy chocolate zucchini cake recipe. I am looking at it now. It has over 170 reviews!

I made this cake for Howard's birthday with the help of my friend Lizzie and I have to say, it is insane.

It is sort of like brownies in that it does not rise too much. But it is so rich and gooey. I think the zucchini gives it the gooey part. Try it and you will see what I mean. I have to honestly say it is one of the best chocolate cakes, or brownies or whatever you want to call it, that I have ever eaten in my life.

I had to take a break from Pennario yesterday to deal with Howard's birthday and this is a lasting thing that came out of that. This recipe. Try it! Or maybe it is wiser you do not.

And now for the frosting.

I frosted this cake with this chocolate frosting recipe from my 1940s edition of "The Joy of Cooking." This cookbook is where I turn for simple recipes for frostings and glazes and all that other good stuff. It is not as complicated as in later editions. Why did they ever update "The Joy of Cooking" anyway? You cannot improve on perfection.

Close to perfection, anyway. for some reason "Chocolate Butter Icing" is listed under Uncooked Icings. It is a little bit cooked anyway.

You can use chocolate but I used cocoa.

Melt over a low flame: 1/4 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons butter (I used two tablespoons).

Then add 1/4 cup hot water, cream or coffee (I used coffee) and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Remove from the fire. Cool and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Next you sift and add gradually 2 cups confectioner's sugar.

That is it! That is all. It is easy and fun. Plus, this is a shocker: I learned to use a sifter! The powdered sugar I had was a little lumpy and I was taking care of it with a whisk but then I thought: Did I not buy a sifter at one of those garage sales? I looked in a drawer and there it was! I could not believe it.

So I sifted sugar for the first time in my life. This sifter is a classic. It is metal and bears the lettering "Bromwell Measuring-Sifter Guaranteed." It is just like the one in the picture above which is described as being at least 70 years old. Ha, ha! the description begins: "Charming reminder of days past when life was slower and people had time to bake cookies, pies and more."

It is fun to use old equipment. Anyway, success. And tremendous feeling of accomplishment the likes of which I will not feel again until I finish my book.

Now to get back to Zumba and burn this all off!