Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This recipe comes from Taste of Home and is absolutely terrific. For those of you that have not had a zucchini cake it is almost impossible to tell the zucchini is in there, so not only is this a much healthier cake, but the zucchini keeps the cake super moist! Moist, chocolately, healthy and delicious!  Yup, this is a keeper for sure!!

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil on medium speed for one minute. Add eggs, applesauce and vanilla, beat one minute longer. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, add to the sugar mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating until just blended. Stir in zucchini and mix through. Transfer mixture to a 13 x 9 inch pan coated with cooking spray.  Place in heated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans and bake an additional 10-15 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!