Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Posted Jun 28, 2020, Updated Aug 16, 2024
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This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is moist with a perfect crumb and a rich chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make (no mixer required) and topped with the most delicious chocolate ganache! It’s the best zucchini cake recipe you’ll ever eat!
Baking with zucchini is my favorite! I love sneaking a little bit of nutrition into our favorite treats, like this zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini muffins and this chocolate zucchini cake! This zucchini cake is so delicious no one will even guess it’s packed with a nutritious vegetable!
This chocolate zucchini cake recipe is easy to make, doesn’t require a mixer, and will become one of your favorite summertime treats. It’s moist and fluffy with a perfect crumb and deep, rich chocolate flavor. Plus the 3-ingredient chocolate ganache is irresistibly fudgy and the perfect way to top to this zucchini cake!
Chocolate Zucchini Cake: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter/canola oil. This recipes calls for ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup canola oil. I think this is the best ratio/combination for a moist texture and buttery flavor. You can use only butter or only canola oil if you prefer (½ cup of each). Coconut oil and ghee are also possible substitutions.
- Sour Cream. Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream if desired.
- Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar or brown sugar can be used instead of white sugar.
- All-purpose flour. You can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. All-purpose gluten-free baking flour also works well.
- Espresso Powder. I highly recommend buying a container of espresso powder if you want to make the best chocolate cakes. However, instant coffee can be substituted in a pinch!
- Mini chocolate chips. For the best texture and dispersion of little pockets of chocolate, use mini chips. You can use regular sized chocolate chips but they will be more noticeable in the cake.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This is a very simple recipe, but as always we’ll walk through the process step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by combining the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and espresso powder in a medium bowl. Then set the dry ingredients aside to use later. This ensures they are evenly combined in the final chocolate zucchini cake batter.
Then, whisk the melted butter, canola oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla together in a large bowl.
Next, add the sugar and whisk until smooth. I like to add sugar separately from the dry ingredients to ensure it dissolves completely.
Then, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk or stir with a spatula until the batter is smooth.
Use a spatula to fold zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed.
Bake & Cool
Spread batter into a greased pan. Bake 25-30 minutes until the sides are set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool on a cooling rack to room temperature, or in the refrigerator.
Pan type
You can bake this in a 9×9″ or 8×8″ square baking dish. You can also use a 9″ round cake pan, or two 6″ round cake pans.
Make the Ganache:
Warm 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat, whisking every 30 seconds until it just barely starts to boil. The sides will bubble and boil, but you should turn off the heat before the middle comes to a rolling boil.
Turn off heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken. Remove from the warm burner and let the ganache cool slightly while whisking.
Assemble
Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled cake and spread it evenly over the surface.
Chill
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until the ganache has set. If you use a different frosting recipe, like a chocolate buttercream frosting, that doesn’t need chill time to set up, you can serve the cake immediately.
Serve
Cut into 9-16 slices and serve. I think this chocolate zucchini cake recipe is best served slightly cold. Feel free to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream to the top of your slice for an extra special treat!
Alternately, you can freeze individual slices by spreading the chilled zucchini cake pieces apart on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and freezing. Once they are frozen (about 3-4 hours), wrap the individual pieces in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Store
Store any chocolate zucchini cake leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
You can freeze the entire cake by making the recipe and chilling it until it’s completely cooled, then cover the top tightly with plastic wrap and foil (or bake in a pan with a lid) and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe FAQS
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions I get about this zucchini cake recipe.
In these photos I use a 9×9″ square baking dish. You can bake this in a 9×9″ or 8×8″ square baking dish – the 8×8″ will just take slightly longer to bake. You can also use a 9″ round cake pan, or two 6″ round cake pans to make a double layer cake.
No! Please don’t peel the zucchini! Much of the nutrition is in the skin!
YES! You can use any frosting you’d like, store-bought or homemade. I recommend this chocolate buttercream frosting and this vanilla frosting.
Yes, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ pan or two, round 9″ pans.
Zucchini adds moistness and nutrition to baked goods! Which is why we love baking with it!
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup zucchini (shredded)
- ¼ cup salted butter (melted)
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease an 8×8” or 9×9” baking dish, or a 9” round cake plate, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add melted butter, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add sugar and whisk until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth.
- Use a spatula to fold zucchini and chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until the sides are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack to room temperature, or in the refrigerator.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Warm 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat, whisking every 30 seconds until it just barely starts to boil. The sides will bubble and boil, but you should turn off the heat before the middle comes to a rolling boil.
- Turn off heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken.
- Remove from the warm burner and let the ganache cool slightly while whisking.
Assemble, Chill & Serve
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled cake and spread it evenly over the surface.
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or until the ganache has set up.
- Serve!
Video
Notes
- *Nutrition facts calculated for this recipe making 16 servings.
- If you use a different frosting recipe, like a chocolate buttercream frosting, that doesn’t need chill time to set up, you can serve the cake immediately.
- Butter/canola oil. This recipes calls for 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup canola oil. I think this is the best ratio/combination for a moist texture and buttery flavor. You can use only butter or only canola oil if you prefer (a 1/2 cup of each). Coconut oil and ghee are also possible substitutions.
- Sour Cream. Greek yogurt can be used in place of sour cream if desired.
- Granulated sugar. Organic cane sugar or brown sugar can be used instead of white sugar.
- All-purpose flour. You can substitute up to half of the all-purpose flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. All-purpose gluten-free baking flour also works well.
- Espresso Powder. I highly recommend buying a container of espresso powder if you want to make the best chocolate cakes. However, instant coffee can be substituted in a pinch!
- Mini chocolate chips. For the best texture and dispersion of little pockets of chocolate, use mini chips. You can use regular sized chocolate chips but they will be more noticeable in the cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delicious! I’d love to make this for my son’s 2nd birthday, doubling the recipe to make a 2 layer digger cake. Do I need to adjust the baking times if I had a 9” square cake tin (as opposed to a ceramic baking dish as shown in the pictures)? Or do you use these terms interchangeably? Thanks!
This cake is absolutely fabulous! Thank you so much for such a delicious recipe, this would make a great gift for someone!
Love this cake. I have shared the recipe with several people and they love it too!!! Delicious! Just wondering if anyone has tried making a cupcake version. I could just eat the whole cake but I was thinking if I made a cupcake version I could share with family or friends. Just to clarify … again…. it is so good while I want to eat it all… I really should share 🙂 Please let me know. Thanks so much !!!
Hi, made this using all purpose Gluten Free flour and I added a tsp of xantham gum to dry ingredients. It was delicious. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Wondering if your Banana cake recipe would turn out as good with the gluten free flour?
Recipe seems really good must make this!
Can you substitute the canola oil with olive oil?
Made this minus the espresso powder used regular semi sweet chocolate chips, baked in 9×9 stoneware lined with parchment paper and cooked 45 min! Made a chocolate peanut butter frosting for it and it was moist and delicious 😋
Loving the chocolate peanut butter frosting! YUM!
This cake is moist, flavorful and delicious! Now I know what to do with all the zucchini growing in my garden. Usually my husband is a generous person, but he gave me a hard time when I shared a few pieces with my sister’s family. Thank you for the great recipe! I also recommend the chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
LOL Chocolate cake does that to me too! 😉 I’m so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe Kristi!
Best moist chocolate cake recipe ever! I cook it a lot; as it is zucchini season and there so many out there in the garden.
Zucchini lends to some of the BEST baked goods, so moist and fluffy. I love chocolate zucchini cake, but this looks like it’s probably the best recipe out there!
You will LOVE this recipe Emily!