Cake or cupcake, zucchini

Sarah Jampel’s selected zucchini cake combines a cinnamon-and-cardamom crumb with walnut praline and tahini frosting. Candied walnuts supply both the ground praline used in the cake and frosting and the chopped nuts scattered over the finished rectangular cake.

Walnuts, granulated sugar, water and table salt simmer until the nuts are toasted and dry. They cool on parchment before being chopped; a small portion is reserved for decoration and the remainder is ground into a thick praline paste.

All-purpose flour and golden wheat flour are whisked with table salt, the ground spices, baking powder and baking soda. Four eggs are whisked with granulated and light brown sugars, then vegetable oil, vanilla and half the praline join before the dry mixture and shredded zucchini.

The batter bakes in a parchment-lined rectangular pan and cools completely. Unsalted butter, tahini and the remaining praline are processed smooth for the frosting, followed by icing sugar, a separate portion of vanilla, table salt and enough milk to make it spreadable.

The frosting finishes the cooled cake and the reserved chopped candied walnuts go on top. Jampel serves the completed cake at room temperature, with the nut paste and tahini adding a toasted, caramel-like flavour around the spiced zucchini crumb.