Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is the kind of cake you'll dream about. Rich and gooey, with a deep, dark chocolate flavor and a handful of melted milk chocolate chips, it's made (I kid you not) with absolutely no butter or oil. The secret is the cupful of fresh, shredded zucchini. Along with the tiny bit of applesauce, the zucchini adds the same moistness that oil typically provides, with about 1/8 of the calories. Because nearly all of the fat has been removed, this cake only lasts a day or two, but it's unbelievably, dream-worthy good and - even better - good for you.

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use hershey's special dark)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate, to counter the dark chocolate cocoa powder)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sift together the dry ingredients (through cinnamon)
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and applesauce
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined
Add zucchini and chocolate chips, mix well
Pour batter into a well-greased 8x8 inch baking dish
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until just set in the center
Allow to cool completely on cooling rack before serving

12 servings