Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Melodie)

2 ½ cups flour                                              

½ cup cocoa                                                

2 ½ tsp. baking powder                                

1 ½ tsp. baking soda                                  

1 tsp. salt                                                     

1 tsp. cinnamon                                           

¾ cup soft butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. grated orange peel

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini

½ cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (opt.)

Glaze ingredients- Mix together.  Beat until smooth.

2 cups powdered sugar                       

3 TBS. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.  With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until smooth.  Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time beating after each addition.  With a spoon,  stir in vanilla, orange peel and zucchini.  Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts last.  Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan.  Bake for about 50 minutes (test at 45), or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 15 minutes.  Turn on wire rack to cool thoroughly.  Drizzle glaze over cake.