Chocolate Zucchini Cake

From allrecipes.com

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup milk
• I also added chocolate chips
  

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Set aside.
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• Zucchini, cocoa/flour mix, and cake batter
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• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. In a small bowl, combine shredded zucchini with milk. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the zucchini mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
• I think this is best served on the day it is baked. After the first day, the cake was a little on the dry side.
• The original recipe also suggests frosting with cream cheese frosting.
  

Baseball Ice Cream Cake

This is the cake I made for Jackson's 10th birthday. The recipe is from makinglifebetter.com

1 package (10.75 oz.) frozen prepared pound cake or angel food cake, thawed (I used pound cake)
1 container (1.5 qt.) your favorite Breyers® All Natural Ice Cream, slightly softened (I used Kemp's New York Vanilla ice cream)
3/4 cup hot fudge topping (room temperature)
1 container (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar (7-1/2 oz.) marshmallow cream
4 pieces thin red licorice (I thought I bought the thin red licorice, but I got home and found it was not; it worked anyway)
Red decorating gel
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 tsp. green food coloring
1/4 tsp. water

Line 2-1/2-quart glass or aluminum bowl with plastic wrap leaving 6-inch overhang; set aside.

Slice pound cake into 14 slices. Line bowl with cake, cutting cake into triangles as needed to fit.

Scoop 1/2 of the Breyers® All Natural Ice Cream into bowl (I filled the bowl about halfway), pressing to form an even layer.

Pour in room temperature hot fudge topping, leaving 1-inch border.

Scoop in remaining Ice Cream, pressing to form an even layer;

cover with overhanging plastic wrap. Freeze 4 hours or overnight. Freeze serving platter 30 minutes before serving. (I did not freeze the serving platter; it wasn't a big deal.)

Lift Ice Cream from bowl using plastic wrap and invert onto chilled serving platter; remove plastic wrap.

Spoon whipped topping into large bowl. Whisk in marshmallow cream until smooth. Frost cake with marshmallow mixture.

For Baseball Decorations, arrange licorice for "seams". Add "stitches" along seams using decorating gel.

Combine coconut, food coloring and water in resealable plastic bag until coconut turns green. Sprinkle around cake for "grass".