Old-Fashioned Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

• 300 g zucchini (about 2 medium), coarsely grated and squeezed dry
• 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil
• ⅔ cup packed (150 g) soft light brown sugar and 50 g granulated sugar
• 2 ⅛ cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder and ¾ tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• ⅔ cup (75 g) walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

Method

1. Prep. Oven to 350°F (180°C, fan 160°C); grease and line a 900 g (2 lb) loaf pan. Coarsely grate the zucchini, skin on — no need to peel.
2. Squeeze. Pile the grated zucchini into a clean tea towel and wring hard over the sink until it stops dripping freely. Damp is perfect; bone dry is a step too far.
3. Whisk. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs, both sugars, oil and vanilla for a minute, until smooth and glossy. Stir the squeezed zucchini through.
4. Fold. Sift over the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold gently until just combined — no dry streaks — adding the walnuts with the last few strokes.
5. Bake. Scrape into the pan and bake 50–60 minutes, until well risen, deep golden and a skewer in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil for the last 15 minutes if it browns quickly.
6. Cool. 10 minutes in the pan, then onto a rack. Slice once fully cool — better still, wrap and wait for tomorrow.