Of all the things I've lost... (Zucchini-Squash Cream Cheese Cake)

It just sat there on the shelf, staring at me.

Where did it come from?  And why was it here?

I flipped the lid open.  Still closed, never been used.  Seriously, why was this almond extract sitting on the shelf inside my cupboard?

I had a slight recollection of purchasing it.  Lucky's.  I bought it at Lucky's.

But why?

Opening up this blog, I started scrolling through my posts.  Nothing that looked like it was supposed to have almond extract added to it, no mention of me forgetting to add an important ingredient.

Yet there was one notably missing post.  One of these weekly Sundays with Joy posts.  Where it should have been, one week after zucchini pancakes and one week before s'mores brownies, was nothing but a line separating two other, non-related posts.

Quickly I opened up the document to which recipe I missed, and lo and behold, blueberry pancakes with a citrus glaze stared back at me.  A recipe in which I had bought all the ingredients.  I picked them out, swiped my card at the check out stand, brought them home and put them away... and then forgot all about them.

So that's why we had so many blueberries about a week ago!

Sigh.  I am too young to have these 'senior' moments, aren't I?!  Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised... my mother did by me a key chain when I was in high school that said --

Of all the things I've lost, 

I miss my mind the most.  

I guess this moment was destined to happen.

Another moment that was destined to happen?  Zucchini-squash cream cheese cake.

My local grocery store was out of zucchini so I went for the next best thing, zucchini-squash.  I added some other ingredients, like nutmeg, and I had a sensory masterpiece.  You should have smelled this thing as it was cooking!  Oh my word, it was all I could think about.  I tried to clean but wound up just hanging out in the kitchen, just to be closer to the smell...

And I made cream cheese frosting from scratch!  This was a proud moment for me, friends.  There are those times when I realize that I can do what Betty Crocker does and I just cannot believe it.  This was one of those moments.

The end result?  Heaven on a plate.  The BEST baked something-or-other that I have ever made.  My husband agrees, so there, proof.

Zucchini-squash cake.  Oh yeah.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook, which you should totally get.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 extra large egg or 1 1/2 regular size
1 t vanilla extract
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 cup shredded zucchini or zucchini-squash, or even carrots ;)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease 9x13 cake pan/loaf pan and set aside
3. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in medium bowl.
4. With either hand mixer or standing mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until well mixed.  Add egg, mix.  Add vanilla, mix.  Add butter, mix until very smooth.
5. Add flour mixture to bowl and stir to incorporate.  Beat until mixed.  Add zucchini squash and stir. 
6. Batter is very thick at this point.  Spoon into pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  Top with cream cheese frosting (that either you make or you buy -- check the recipe HERE). 

COST (without frosting): $3.36
COST (with frosting): $5.87

Cost per serving (10): $0.34 or $0.59