Zucchini Bread

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.

Whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.

Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to remove excess moisture — you want about 1 ½ cups lightly packed after squeezing.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Fold the 1 ½ cups squeezed zucchini into the wet ingredients until evenly distributed.

Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. Do not overmix.

Fold in the ¾ cup walnuts, if using, with just 3–4 strokes.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan once on the counter to settle the batter.

Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes if the top is browning too fast.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and cool completely before slicing — at least 45 more minutes.