How do I make zucchini cakes less dense?

[cyalexa]

I am trying to reproduce zucchini cakes I had in a restaurant. I am pretty close but would be grateful for some help.

The current working recipe:

wet ingredients - 1lb zucchini grated, salted, wrung dry in a towel; a little minced onion, a little minced fresh oregano, a lightly beaten egg, black pepper, 15 grams grated feta

dry ingredients - 1/2 cup AP flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder

 

Mixed wet and dry (perhaps a bit too vigorously?). Shallow fried about 2 tablespoons at a time, flattened to 1/2 inch

 

The flavor is quite close to what I am trying to achieve but the texture is too dense. I have 1lb zucchini left and can try again tomorrow. Should I decrease the flour? Increase the baking powder? Add some liquid? What would you do?

Edited June 12, 2015 by cyalexa (log)

[heidih]

Check out this post  http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143502-dinner-2007/page-79#entry1450400

 

Sounds like your flour is the density culprit

[cyalexa]

Check out this post  http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143502-dinner-2007/page-79#entry1450400

 

Sounds like your flour is the density culprit

Thanks. I searched, albeit briefly, before I posted but did not see this. That is way less flour than I used!

[LindaK]

Add another egg. The ratio in the recipe I use calls for 1.5lb zucchini, grated/3 eggs/1 cup flour.  No weight equivalents, unfortunately.

 

A trick I've adopted in similar recipes is to separate the eggs, mix in the yolks as usual, then whip the egg white(s) and fold them into the mixture before frying them up.  It definitely lightens the final cake/fritter.