Storm Lake Pilot Tribune: Miscellaneous: Squash cake? Try it you might like it! (09/07/12)

Squash cake? Beth Kessler, left, with a couple giant squash harvested in the community garden. Fellow gardener Bonnie Hach is with her. Kaye Harter in the foreground samples the cake. /Photo by Lorri Glawe

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Many people enjoy eating vegetables right out of the garden but many need to almost be "tricked" into eating them.

Tucking vegetables into tasty recipes is often a good way for the vegetable lovers and even the non vegetable lovers to eat the garden produce.

Beth Kessler who moved from California to Holstein has found many good friends at her Alta church who introduced her to "Iowa" gardening this summer. She finds gardening and playing in the dirt very satisfying in Iowa; much more so than the "container" gardens that were all there was room for in California.

She shared squash cake during Alta's National Night Out and surprised everyone when they learned of the main ingredient. She shares the recipes today for all those who have extra squash from their gardens. A basic recipe appears first with four flavor additions to try.

Basic Recipe

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups shredded yellow squash (peel off the skin) or zucchini

3 eggs beaten until foamy

3 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Mix all dry ingredients. Beat eggs then add oil to eggs. Put egg/oil mixture with dry ingredients and mix together.

Add any of the flavorings

Butterscotch

1/2 cup butterscotch ice cream topping

12 oz. bag butterscotch chips

Chocolate Mint

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

12 oz. mint chips

Chocolate Coconut

1 1/2 cup shredded coconut

3 Tbsp. cocoa

When done baking on this variety, poke holes in cake and drizzle 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping over the top.

Cherry

1 Tbsp. cherry flavoring

12 oz. bag cherry chips

Spread mixture in sprayed 11x17 pan and bake at 325 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean.