Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Moist chocolate cake with grated zucchini with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting. You can't even taste the zucchini so this is definitely the best way to eat your vegetables!
It is summertime and zucchini is growing in gardens everywhere. I have a very small garden filled mostly with herbs and peppers but I dream of a garden full of plentiful zucchini. While I wait for my zucchini to grow, I head over to the grocery store and load up my cart with so much zucchini. I recently found it for 33 cents per lb which is an unbelievable steal so I stocked up.
The first recipe I wanted to create was definitely a chocolate cake. The beauty of zucchini is that it can be disguised so well in recipes. You don't even taste it! Since I already have a killer chocolate cake recipe and a chocolate zucchini bread recipe, I thought I would combine the two recipes and make the perfect chocolate zucchini cake recipe!
I added 3 cups of grated zucchini to this cake and I am telling you that you can't even taste it at all! It is seriously a magical chocolate cake with hidden zucchini. The zucchini just makes the chocolate cake extra moist which is a win-win.
After some experimentation with cakes, I found that oil creates the moistest cake texture. Sour cream is also a game changer in this chocolate zucchini cake as it adds the right amount of fat to keep it extra tender. Once you frost this zucchini cake with chocolate frosting, it becomes a show-stopping dessert.
How to make the Best Chocolate Zucchini Cake:
- Start by grating the zucchini. Once the zucchini is grated, I spread it out on paper towels to let them soak up some of the liquid from the zucchini.
- Mix together the oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamed together. I usually reach for canola oil in my cakes.
- Stir in the grated zucchini and sour cream. I prefer to use full-fat sour cream in my cake recipes.
- Add dry ingredients and mix only until combined. You want to avoid over-mixing as it will create too much gluten in the cake.
- Bake only until a toothpick comes out clean when placed in the center of the cake.
- Cool completely and then frost with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting.
Here are some popular chocolate recipes on Modern Honey:
5-Star Rated Love at First Sight Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Here are some of my favorite baking tools:
USA 9 x 13 baking pan
Kitchenaid Mixer
Offset spatula
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Oil (such as canola)
- 1 cup Sugar
- ¾ cup Brown Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons Vanilla
- ½ cup Sour Cream (preferably full-fat)
- 3 cups Grated Zucchini
- ⅔ cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
- 2 cups Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup Cocoa Powder
- 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start by grating the zucchini. Once the zucchini is grated, spread it out on paper towels to let them soak up some of the liquid from the zucchini.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamed together. Stir in the grated zucchini and sour cream.
- Add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix only until combined. You want to avoid over-mixing as it will create too much gluten in the cake. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan (you may lightly spray it with non-stick cooking spray). Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when placed in the center of the cake.
- Cool completely and then frost with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until light and fluffy. May add more heavy cream depending on desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake.
Tlee
You have a great website. I can’t wait to make the chocolate zucchini cake. Do you need to peel the zucchini before grating?
Thank you in advance.
Modern Honey
Thank you so much for following along! That is a great question. I don't peel the zucchini before grating it. You are welcome to do that though. -- Melissa
Tlee
Thank you! Your chocolate zucchini cake is fantastic!
Alisha
To be completely honest, I did not think the chocolate zucchini cake was going to be very good. I mean zucchini. . . in cake. I didn't get my hopes up, but there are zucchinis all over my house because my mom got a great deal so now everything we make must contain zucchini. Anyways (sorry for blabbering on about zucchinis), I made them as cupcakes and used my favorite chocolate frosting and oh my god they are soo good. You can't even taste the zucchini. They are moist and delicious and just yum (for lack of better words). Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely be using it again.
Nobia
Hi, is it 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda?
Tawnya Burton
We're chocolate cake snobs at our house and I made this despite much whining over the thought of putting a vegetable in chocolate cake. Our assessment: zucchini was totally absorbed and couldn't really be tasted. However I thought the base recipe had too much baking soda, it was the first thing I smelled coming out of the oven and could be tasted in the cake. Also, while oil makes the cake very moist and rich, I did miss the flavor of butter that I am used to in my traditional chocolate cake recipe. It was still very good though, especially considering it incorporated zucchini.
Lee Ann
Superb! I am no baker, and it came out delish! Got rave reviews. So easy to make. Never imagined I'd make my own buttercream frosting. It tasted like a professional baked it! Although I had to bake it for about twice as long.
Jen
I am finding I have to bake this cake twice as long as well. First put it in for 25 minutes, recipe states 23-28 minutes. Then I put it in for another 15 minutes, still not done, Now going 5 minutes more and will continue adding 5 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Hopefully will not be overbaked.
Nikki Jos4efson
I also had to bake my cake twice as long.
Andie
This was so delightful!! Made it for a family BBQ and it was a huge it.
Janet
Just checking before I make this cake = is it 1-2 tspns. vanilla, or 1/2 tspn,? Thank you! Can't wait to try!
Kim
This recipe is amazing!!!!!!!