Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (packed) grated Zucchini (courgette), firmly squeezed
  • 1 cup (240 g) Pumpkin Puree (100% pure, not pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) Neutral Oil (Grapeseed, canola, or vegetable oil)
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 3/4 cups (220 g) All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup (packed, 110 g) Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt (Fine sea salt)
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Nuts (optional Walnuts or pecans)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Oven and Zucchini: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the 9x5 inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment paper 'sling'. Grate the zucchini, place it in a clean kitchen towel, and crucially, squeeze firmly until all excess liquid is removed. This step prevents a heavy, gummy loaf.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Ensure the brown sugar lumps are fully broken up.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree until fully homogenous and smooth.
  4. Integrate the Batter Gently: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until just combined. Stop mixing the moment you see no dry streaks of flour remaining to avoid developing gluten.
  5. Fold in Vegetables and Bake: Gently fold the squeezed zucchini and any optional chopped nuts into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly (around 40 minutes), loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
  6. Cool and Serve: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the loaf out and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes) before slicing.