This tasty cake is a delicious take on tradition zucchini bread. Pecans are incorporated both in the batter as well as the sweet and crunchy crumble on top of the cake. I like to add a pinch of coarse sea salt to the crumble topping — it really enhances the texture and sweetness. If you don’t have coarse sea salt, you can simply leave it out. It’s just as delicious without it. Do not substitute with fine sea salt or table salt. It will make your topping too salty.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 2 cups finely grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the crumble:

• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease two 8×4 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil and buttermilk.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture along with the grated zucchini and pecans. Mix until fully combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
6. Next, make the crumble topping: use a fork or your fingers to mix together the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and pecans. Mix until fully combined and large clumps form. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the batter.
7. Bake loaves for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: Two 8×4 inch loaves.