Single layer chocolate zucchini cake is easy, chocolatey and delicious. The zucchini makes this cake moist, but you'll never taste the zucchini. It's the perfect way to use up extra zucchini and sneak in some vegetables.
Chocolate zucchini cake is one of my very favorite chocolate cakes. It's moist, sweet and contains vegetables! It's a win-win-win cake. I often just serve this cake naked (plain) or with a dusting of powdered sugar for a little flair. But if you want to top it with frosting, I will also include an easy chocolate buttercream frosting. The chocolate buttercream frosting takes this moist and delicious cake to something wickedly decadent. You choose! Either way you top it, the cake still has zucchini and some extra nutrients that you don't normally get in chocolate cake.
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake Ingredients
- Cocoa powder
- All purpose flour
- Espresso powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- White sugar
- Eggs
- Liquified zucchini
- Milk
See recipe card for quantities.
Chocolate Buttercream Ingredients
- Cocoa powder
- Salted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
- Add-ins - this chocolate zucchini cake can support 1 cup of finely crushed nuts or 1 cup of chocolate chips. Just stir them in until they're evenly distributed.
- Vegan - you can make this chocolate zucchini cake vegan by replacing the milk, butter and heavy cream with plant based equivalents. (I like oat milk for baking, Miyoko's plant based butters and Trader Joe's vegan heavy cream.) For the eggs, you can substitute an egg replacer (like Bob's Red Mill brand) or you can use flax eggs. To replace the 3 eggs used in this recipe, mix 3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 9 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before adding it in place of the eggs.
Equipment
A food process or blender is needed to liquify the zucchini. A hand mixer or stand mixer is needed to make the chocolate buttercream frosting. However, a mixer is not necessary to make the chocolate zucchini cake itself.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Next Level Tips
- I love using espresso powder to enhance the flavor of chocolate. You can easily substitute instant coffee for the espresso powder. Or if you don't have espresso powder or instant coffee, you could also use 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
- I usually serve this easy chocolate zucchini cake naked (plain) without any decorative additions. The cake is sweet and moist enough without any frosting. Sometimes, I sprinkle powdered sugar on top for fun. But when I really want to take this cake to the next level, I add a chocolate buttercream frosting. I'll add the chocolate buttercream recipe here as optional.
FAQ
Zucchini will easily liquify in a food processor or a blend. First, chop the zucchini in to large chunks to fit them in the food processor or blender, and then blend until the zucchini becomes a chunky liquid. It usually takes under a minute.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
- 1 hand or stand mixer or whisk
Ingredients
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups liquified zucchini (approx. 3 medium zucchinis)
- ½ cup milk
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (optional)
- 2 sticks salted butter* room temperature
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Chocolate zuccini cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking pan.
- Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the sugar and vegetable oil to a mixing bowl and mix until combined
- Add the eggs to the mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Liquify the zucchini in a food processor or blender until it's a chunky liquid. Then add it to the mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk. Mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into a 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 ℉ for 50-55 minutes. Check at 50 minutes. The edges should be slightly pulling away and the center of the cake should spring back. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding any powdered sugar or frosting.
Chocolate buttercream frosting
- Add the salted butter and the cocoa powder to a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until all the cocoa powder has been incorporated into the butter and the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides once or twice.
- Then add the powdered sugar and two tablespoons of the heavy whipping cream to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium high until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides several times, about 5-6 minutes. [Depending on the temperature of the butter and the humidity of the kitchen, you may need to add more heavy cream if the frosting is too heavy/thick. Add additional heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, mix on medium high and check for fluffiness.]
- Frost the cake by using an icing (offset) spatula, a regular knife or by piping it on.
Notes
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