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Zucchini Bread with Orange Zest and Chocolate Chunks

Zucchini Bread with Orange Zest and Chocolate Chunks

  • Makes
    1 9-inch loaf
  • Cook Time
    1½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    (30 minutes active), plus cooling
  • Rating

Unlike the basic (and often boring) zucchini bread, this quick bread is saturated with citrusy orange flavor thanks to a simple step of rubbing orange zest into the sugar. This draws out the zest’s essential oils and evenly distributes them for bright flavor throughout the loaf, which also is studded with chunks of bittersweet chocolate. Ample zucchini shreds dot the crumb with flecks of green and keep it amazingly moist, but the summer squash flavor disappears into the background. We also sprinkle the bread, inspired by a recipe from “Tartine” by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson, with turbinado sugar, a coarse, golden raw sugar, to add a crystalline crunch and sparkle. If you can’t find turbinado, use an equal amount of white sugar. Tightly wrapped and refrigerated, the loaf will keep for up to five days; bring to room temperature to serve.

Tip

Don’t skip the step of rubbing the orange zest into the sugar. This draws out the zest’s essential oils and evenly distributes them for bright citrus flavor throughout the loaf.

Ingredients
  • 260

    grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

  • ½

    teaspoon baking powder

  • ½

    teaspoon baking soda

  • ½

    teaspoon table salt

  • 161

    grams (¾ cup) white sugar

  • 1

    tablespoon grated orange zest, plus ¼ cup orange juice

  • 2

    large eggs

  • ⅓

    cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 340

    grams (12 ounces) zucchini, shredded on the large holes of a box grater (about 3 cups)

  • 113

    grams (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, or 113 grams (¾ cup) bittersweet chocolate chunks

  • 1

    tablespoon turbinado or white sugar (see headnote)

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the white sugar and orange zest. Use your fingers to rub them together until fragrant and the sugar clumps. Whisk in the eggs, oil and orange juice. Stir in the zucchini, then the flour mixture; stir until almost completely incorporated. Stir in the chocolate.

Step 3

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with the turbinado sugar. Bake until well browned and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 70 minutes.

Step 4

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Turn out the loaf and cool completely before serving.