Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (, or 1 vanilla bean)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup pecans (, chopped)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 1/2 X 5 1/4-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. 2

   Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time and blend, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go. Mix in the canola oil and the vanilla.

3. 3

   In another bowl or on a piece of parchment paper, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Mix in the zucchini, pecans and chocolate morsels and spread into the prepared pan.

4. 4

   Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the edges of the bread begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Cool for 30 minutes and then remove from the pan.