It is hard to rival zucchini’s midsummer dominance—the green summer squash is cheap, versatile, and currently omnipresent at the Greenmarket. Young, small ones, like these from Migliorelli farm stand, are more tender and thin-skinned than their older siblings. They’re great on the grill, in light ratatouilles, or in this moist cake recipe from Batch chef Pichet Ong.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
4 cups zucchini
2 1/4 cups plus 3 tbs. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10-inch-round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and sides of cake pan, then sprinkle with sugar in the raw. Put pan in refrigerator while preparing other ingredients. (1) Finely grate zucchini, and set on paper towels to dry. (2) Sift the 2 1/4 cups of flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt on medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add sifted dry ingredients until no traces of flour remain. Toss zucchini with 3 tablespoons of flour, and add to batter, continuing to mix until evenly distributed. (3) Whisk together eggs and oil, then stream into batter with mixer on medium-low. Pour into greased pan, and bake until a tester comes out clean, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack, remove parchment paper, and allow to cool. Serves 12.

(Published 2010)