Chocolate Raspberry Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread is sweet and cake-like, possessing a rich chocolate flavor, and filled with tart bursts of raspberries. Buttermilk makes this bread very tender.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup grated zucchini, rolled tightly in paper towels to absorb extra moisture
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
3 tablespoons special dark cocoa (may substitute regular unsweetened cocoa)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla until light and creamy.

Add buttermilk and mix well.

Stir in the grated zucchini (and walnuts, if using.)

Add cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until combined.

Fold in the raspberries and spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the bread.

Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool bread completely on the rack.

Enjoy!