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Recipes
June 2021

Ginger-Cardamom Zucchini Bread

By Lena Sareini

4.1

(37)

GingerCardamom Zucchini Bread
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by D'Mytrek Brown

Zucchini’s high moisture content gives this loaf cake from pastry chef Lena Sareini its soft crumb, while ground ginger, turmeric, and cardamom infuse the crumbly oat streusel with bold flavor. 

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes one 9x5" loaf

Ingredients

streusel

⅓

cup (42 g) all-purposeflour

2

Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. (30 g) dark brown sugar

¼

cup (24 g) old-fashioned oats

½

tsp. ground cardamom

½

tsp. ground ginger

½

tsp. ground turmeric

¼

tsp. baking powder

Pinch of kosher salt

2

Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

bread

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2½

medium zucchini (about 1 lb.), trimmed

¾

tsp. vanilla extract

1½

cups (300 g) granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

3

large eggs

¾

cup grapeseed oil

1¾

cups (219 g) all-purpose flour

2¼

tsp. ground cardamom

2¼

tsp. ground ginger

2

tsp. baking powder

1¼

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Blueberry jam and/or crème fraîche (for serving; optional)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. streusel

    Step 1

    Whisk flour, brown sugar, oats, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl to combine. Drizzle butter over and, using your fingers, work into dry ingredients until butter is absorbed and clumps form. Set streusel aside

  2. bread

    Step 2

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Coat a 9x5" loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on long sides. Using the grater attachment of a food processor or the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini. (You should have about 3 cups.) Wrap shredded zucchini in a kitchen towel and wring out as much excess moisture as you can. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in vanilla extract (adding the vanilla here means the zucchini will take on more of its flavor).

    shredded zucchini wrapped in a towel to wring out moisture
    Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by D'Mytrek Brown

    Step 3

    Place granulated sugar and lemon zest in a medium bowl and, using your fingers, work zest into sugar until sugar starts to clump and mixture is very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add eggs and oil to bowl and whisk to combine. Add grated zucchini and whisk again to incorporate.

    Step 4

    Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift flour into another small bowl. Add cardamom, ginger, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture and gently fold with a rubber spatula until there are no visible flour streaks remaining and batter is homogeneous. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth surface. Scatter reserved streusel evenly on top.

    • zucchini bread batter folded with a spatula
    • oat streusel topping sprinkled over zucchini bread

    Step 5

    Bake zucchini bread, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let zucchini bread cool completely in pan.

    Step 6

    Run a small offset spatula or paring knife around sides of zucchini bread to help loosen, then turn it out onto rack.

    Step 7

    To serve, cut zucchini bread into thick slices and divide among plates. Top with jam and crème fraîche if desired.

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