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Desserts | August 2, 2013

It’s that time of year…Chocolate Zucchini Cake


New and improved. Originally posted here (Aug 2010).With frosting, this time around, for good measure.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate and Zucchini is the best combination! This recipe uses both to make the most moist and delicious cake in minutes!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate cake, chocolate zucchini cake, zucchini, zucchini cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
cooling time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 16

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, unsalted
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
  • 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar or a mixture of 3/4 brown and 1 cup granlated sugars
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups zucchini grated*
  • ½ cup buttermilk*
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Whipping cream or frosting (recipe below)

Frosting:

  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash salt
  • milk or cream to thin about 2-3 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Cream together butter, oil and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beat.

  2. Add flour, cocoa, cloves, cinnamon, soda and salt and beat for additional 2 minutes.

  3. Add grated or blended zucchini and buttermilk. Blend well. Fold in chocolate chips.

  4. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes (check with a toothpick).

  5. Best when served slightly warm with fresh whipped cream or top with frosting.
  6. Frosting: Beat all ingredients with mixer in bowl until smooth. Frost cake when cooled.

Recipe Notes

-You may also bake in two-9 or 10 inch pie plates.

-The original recipe calls for peeling and seeding the zucchini, I leave the peel on and don’t seed. And I usually pulverize the zucchini in a blender with about 1/4 cup of water. The total amount used in the recipe is 2 cups, meaning I place the zucchini in a blender with about 1/4 cup of water and pulverize the zucchini until it looks like baby food. Then I measure out 2 cups. If it turns out to be a little less than 2 cups, no big deal. 1 3/4 is fine! 

-To make buttermilk substitute: Pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice into a 1/2 cup measure. Fill with milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir and use in recipe as directed. If you have Greek yogurt, you may also use 1/2 cup of plain unsweetened Greek yogurt in place of buttermilk. 

5 thoughts on “It’s that time of year…Chocolate Zucchini Cake

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    1. Now that's getting creative with cooking methods! Curious, did you use your grill to avoid turning on the oven inside? And thanks for letting us know about the bundt pan option as well!

    2. Yes, I totally did it to avoid the oven. (Hate turning it on when it's 90+ outside).

      FYI–the grill stayed about 350 and the cake took 50 mins. to bake in the bundt.

  1. Made it, SO good! I was worried it might be dry or otherwise very "cakey" but it was deliciously moist and was gobbled up served with chocolate whipped cream!