"Nutritious and Delicious"- Eggless Spinach Cake and Zucchini Squares/ Veggie Cake topped with simple glaze,toasted Almonds and dried Cranberries

Spinach Cake/ Squares

Zucchini Cake/ Bars

A 'mom' is a person who can create just about 'anything' to make her child healthy and happy...... Do you agree??? So, this is my 'Good- mom recipe'...a delicious cake with a nutrition boost! An eggless cake with veggies! Now the 'eggs' would actually boost up the nutrition in this one...but I had baked these not only for 'E' and 'A' but a bunch of vegetarian friends....so it had to be eggless!
So, few years ago, in Ithaca NY, where we lived before we moved here.....we had weekly playdates for kids.We had a very multicultural group...kids from China, Europe, Mexico, India, Japan,Turkey etc all played together and the moms shared stories! On a 'what you feed your kids' potluck....my Turkish friend baked a Pound Cake with Spinach......I was so impressed with the idea...and the kids had loved it!!!  Since then, the idea dwelled in my mind..and finally made it this week! I baked the same recipe with Spinach and Zucchini and topped them with toasted almonds and dried cranberries.
Kids don't mind eating veggies in this form at all!
 Love those tiny green specks in the cake due to the Spinach/ Zucchini.

Ingredients:
Use standard measuring cups and spoons for the recipe
1 and 1/2 cup All Purpose flour
1/2 cup finely grated Zucchini (along with the peel) or finely chopped fresh Spinach (Squeeze water from the veggies and save in measuring cup to use in the cake*)
3/4th cup sugar (This is mild sweet cake.Increase sugar to upto 1 cup...if you want a sweeter cake)
1/2tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla extract
1/3rd cup Canola oil
1tbsp white distilled vinegar (Add just few drops less than 1tbsp.....it prevents that 'vinegar' taste)
1 cup Cold water (*Take Veggie juice squeezed from zucchini or spinach...plus add cold water to make a total of 1 cup water)
1/2tsp Cinnamon powder
1/4tsp Nutmeg powder

 For the glaze:
1/2stick unsalted butter
 3/4 to 1cup powdered sugar
1/2tsp Vanilla
2tsp milk
1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Method:
1) Sift the flour, sugar etc separately.Then measure correctly with a measuring cup.Don't over fill the cups.
Pre heat the oven to 350F
2) Mix together dry ingredients-flour, sugar, baking soda, salt etc
3) Mix together wet ingredients- water, oil,vinegar,vanilla etc
4) Mix together the wet+ dry ingredients and stir in one direction till well blended
5) Stir in the grated Zucchini OR chopped spinach
6) Mix again.
7) Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan with shortening and dust with flour. Use larger pan/ Cookie sheet for thinner bars/squares
8) Pour in the batter and spread evenly with spatula.
 9) Bake at 350 F for 20-25 mins until golden brown.
10) Let the cake cool completely before glazing.

Glazing:
1) Melt butter. Mix together vanilla, powdered sugar and milk. Mix till smooth and shiny.
2) Pour over the cooled cake. Spread with spatula.
3) Top with toasted almonds and cranberries. Cut the cake into squares or desired shape.