Fruitcake may be top of mind for a lot of people now that the holidays are not that far off. Cindy Higgins, historian, writer, and wildlife rescue volunteer, has devised a recipe that takes fruitcake to a whole new level.
It was the abundance of zucchini in her garden that inspired Higgins to come up with this recipe, which not only has zucchini but also banana and pineapple.
“I love fruitcake, but it has a bad reputation, so this recipe is my tropical-garden bounty version of it,” she said.
“It is way more than just zucchini bread, which is great. The zucchini gives it a nice colour too, and the coconut, banana, and pineapple make this a tropical bread.”
Higgins says the zucchini fruit bread goes fast at her house. Even her husband, who does not like fruitcake, gives it a thumbs up.
Now is a great time to see if this zucchini bread recipe is a keeper for the holidays.
Zucchini Fruit Bread
Makes 3 loaves
500 ml (2 cups) zucchini, grated
500 ml (2 cups) sugar
250 ml (1 cup) oil
3 eggs
5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon
15 ml (3 tsp) vanilla
875 ml (3 1/2 cups) flour
7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) baking soda
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
1 banana, mashed
591 g (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
125 ml (1/2 cup) raisins
125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut shredded sweetened or non-sweetened
250 ml (1 cup) nuts
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grate zucchini. Mix first 6 ingredients. Mix dry ingredients separately and add to zucchini mix. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into 3 - 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans. Bake for 45-60 minutes.
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