Blueberry Zucchini (Bundt) Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Cake:

I thought my bundt cake days were over…..until I saw a fun, new pan design (https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/pans/bundt-specialty) and I just couldn’t resist!  I have been searching for some cake recipes as fun as the pan, and here is one I love (I’m a sucker for anything blueberry).  

• 1 large or two small zucchini (need two cups finely shredded and drained)
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (reserve a few for garnish if desired)

Lemon buttercream:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Juice and zest of one lemon (about 2 two tablespoons juice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two eight 8” round cake pans and line bottom only of pans with parchment.

Grate zucchini and place in a clean dish towel. Squeeze until most of the liquid comes out. Measure two cups and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar. Fold in zucchini. Gradually add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gently fold in blueberries.

Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into center of a cake comes out clean. (It took closer to 50 minutes for the bundt cake to bake.)  Cool twenty minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire rack/s to cool completely.

Prepare lemon buttercream: Combine butter, powdered sugar and salt and beat until well combined. Add lemon juice and vanilla and continue to beat another 3 to 5  minutes or until creamy. Fold in zest (omit zest if piping buttercream).

Frost between layers and on top and side of cake. (I put the frosting in a zip lock bag, snipped off a corner, and drizzled on top.

I didn’t use all the frosting for my bundt cake which worked out fine, because it is ery sweet.  I put it in a zip lock bag and put it in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften it enough so it would drizzle (cut a small corner of the zip lock and drizzle it through the hole).  It had enough body to hold the blueberry garnish, but still had the drizzle look.