Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is a deep, dark chocolate cake that is topped with light and fluffy chocolate whipped cream! With 3 cups of zucchini, it is incredibly moist and you won’t even notice all the vegetables!
If you’ve got an abundance of zucchini and you’re looking for more ways to use it, try these Zucchini Chips, these Cheesy Zucchini Fritters, or this Cinnamon Zucchini Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
If you are a gardener and you’ve planted zucchini this year, you may be searching for about 500 different ways to use it!
Zucchini plants are the gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving.
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is one of my favorite ways to use zucchini, because it uses a good amount (a whopping 3 cups), and it is so rich, so moist, and has this incredibly deep dark chocolate flavor.
I love to top it off with a light and fluffy chocolate whipped cream — it’s sweet and chocolatey but light enough that it really lets the cake shine.
If you want something a little sweeter, the chocolate cream cheese frosting from these Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes would be a wonderful addition!
How to make Chocolate Zucchini Cake:
- We start by mixing most of our wet ingredients and sugar together — just a whisk is good enough for this simple batter!
- Add the dry ingredients, and stir just until combined — we don’t want to overmix.
- Add the zucchini and stir just until coated, then spread into a lightly greased pan.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let cool to room temperature before topping with chocolate whipped cream.
Variations on this Chocolate Zucchini Cake:
- If you want to go a little healthier with this recipe, you can swap one cup of the flour for whole wheat flour and no one will notice 😉
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter with the cocoa for a more traditional zucchini cake flavor
- Add a cup of chocolate chips to the batter before baking for extra melty little pockets of chocolate
- Cut into cubes and use a base for an easy trifle, with chocolate whipped cream and fresh fruit
How to store this Chocolate Zucchini Cake:
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake can be store at room temperature without whipped cream for one day.
Because this cake is very moist, I find any longer than that and it’s not at its best.
This cake can be topped with whipped cream and refrigerated up to 5-6 days, but it’s unlikely it will last that long!
You can also bake and freeze without whipped cream up to 3 months.
More zucchini recipes you’ll love!
- Banana Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins — one of my kids favorite snacks!
- Buttery Garlic Herb Chicken with Zucchini — healthy and delicious!
- Best Ever Zucchini Crust Pizza — a healthier twist on pizza night
- Pistachio Zucchini Bread — a snack the whole family loves!
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour (fluffed and levelled)
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 small or 1 large)
Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar (more or less depending on your tastes)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×13″ pan (line with parchment paper if desired)
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In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
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Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder and stir until combined.
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Stir in zucchini, just until combined.
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Spread into prepared pan and bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Whipped Cream:
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In a medium bowl, combine cream, sugar, cocoa and vanilla.
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Beat with an electric mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
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Spread over cooled cake and serve.
Nutrition