Chocolate Cream Cheese Zucchini Cake

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and "flour" (using cocoa powder) two 8 inch round cake pans (non-stick cooking spray also worked for me).
2. In a large bowl mix butter, oil, and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Mix in melted baking chocolate on low.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture on low speed just until blended. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. At this point you can choose to either stir in your chocolate chips and pecans as well, or pour the batter into the pans first before sprinkling them on top.
4. Bake cakes in preheated oven for 35 - 50 minutes (I can't remember the exact time it took me, but my dieting sisters, who are also my roommates, would kill me if I made another batch right now...seriously) until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (easier to do if the chocolate chips are on top)
5. If you added chocolate chips to the batter, cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes before removing from pans. If they were sprinkled on top, you can either take a chance and let them cool in the pans (doesn't do too bad) or serve cake warm from pans (my favorite way to go!).
6. Enjoy! There's zucchini. Forget the rest...it's not important. Focus on the vegetable. Vegetables are nutritious. That's all you really need to know...