Tremendous moist and indulgent chocolate zucchini cake is studded with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate fudge frosting. Made with three cups of shredded zucchini (you may’t style it!), that is probably the most decadent approach to eat your greens.
I initially revealed this recipe in 2017 and have since added new images, a video tutorial, and extra success suggestions.
As we speak, we now have a triple dose of chocolate within the type of luxuriously wealthy chocolate zucchini cake. No, you may’t style the zucchini. No, you may’t see the zucchini. Sure, it’s unbelievably scrumptious and I’m displaying you precisely find out how to make it! Zucchini recipes have by no means been extra decadent than this one. 🙂
Are you able to simply take a look at how wealthy and moist this cake is? It tastes even higher than it seems to be, I swear. The actual secret behind it’s the hidden vegetable inside. In the event you’re one who believes these veggies ought to solely be in zucchini casserole, zucchini fritters, or zucchini biscuits and don’t have anything to do with dessert, hold an open thoughts. Carrot cake, anybody?!
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Simply as cherished as my chocolate cake
- Tremendous moist and wealthy with mega chocolate taste
- Simple to make
- A scrumptious method to make use of up a bumper crop of summer season zucchini
- 3 cups of greens hiding inside—and also you don’t even style it
- Coated in fudge-like chocolate buttercream
Overview: Chocolate Zucchini Cake Components
This decadent cake is made with contemporary zucchini and pantry fundamentals. Do you know that cocoa powder can dry out baked items way more than flour? To compensate for this, we guarantee there’s loads of added moisture within the cake batter.
Let’s overview a couple of key substances:
- Unsweetened Pure Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder takes the place of some flour. Simply as in my common chocolate cake recipe, be sure you’re utilizing pure unsweetened cocoa powder as a substitute of Dutch-process cocoa powder.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder accentuates the chocolate taste. Whereas non-obligatory, I extremely advocate utilizing it. The chocolate zucchini cake received’t style like espresso. Fairly, the espresso powder helps carry out the extreme chocolate taste. We use it in chocolate zucchini bread and on this chocolate cake roll, too. You will discover espresso powder within the espresso aisle on the grocery retailer or on-line.
- Oil: Oil provides moisture. You may strive changing *some* of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. I’ve accomplished this with chocolate muffins and muffins and the result’s great, however I don’t advocate changing all of it. Regardless of the zucchini inside, this isn’t well being meals, it’s dessert. Don’t attempt to make it into one thing it’s not!
- Eggs: 4 eggs bind every little thing collectively and add moisture. Keep in mind that room-temperature substances are vital.
- Bitter Cream: Identical to in chocolate peanut butter cake, you should utilize bitter cream or plain yogurt. Both add moisture.
- Zucchini: Use a whopping 3 cups of shredded zucchini on this recipe. Testing how a lot we will get away with… with out really tasting it! Zucchini is pure magic in muffins—nothing however flavorless moisture. Similar goes with my zucchini bread and zucchini muffins, too!
Elective Chocolate Chips: For mega chocolate taste, add chocolate chips to the batter. They’re key to these melty pockets of chocolate in every slice. I exploit semi-sweet chocolate chips (similar to in my peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread), however mini chocolate chips and even darkish chocolate chips pair splendidly, too.
Let Me Present You Easy methods to Make It:
This chocolate zucchini cake comes collectively rapidly and simply, similar to my common zucchini cake. Merely whisk the dry substances in a single bowl and beat the moist substances collectively in one other bowl. Mix the moist and dry substances, then add the chocolate chips. The cake batter can be barely thick because of all the zucchini! Divide the batter between two 9-inch cake pans; or you may make 1 / 4 sheet cake utilizing a 9×13-inch cake pan. See the recipe Notes part for particulars.
- Want cupcakes as a substitute? This recipe yields about 24–30 cupcakes. See recipe Notes.
Chocolate Frosting
We’re topping and filling this chocolate zucchini cake with easy, silky, and creamy chocolate buttercream. You’ll use my favourite chocolate buttercream recipe, however improve the amount as directed within the recipe card beneath.
Easy methods to Assemble a Layer Cake
In the event you’re new to assembling and layering muffins, or when you simply want a refresher, see my Easy methods to Assemble a Layer Cake video tutorial. The short video information will stroll you thru find out how to stack and embellish it.
In the event you would slightly high this cake with vanilla frosting, use the vanilla frosting included in my white cake recipe. No matter which you select, you’ll have sufficient frosting to frost the complete layer cake AND just a little leftover for some enjoyable piping on high. Embellish nevertheless you’d like! I used Wilton 1M for the pictured piping:
Deep, darkish, luxuriously wealthy, loopy moist, and weirdly loaded with greens that you simply completely can’t style. After one chew you’ll be satisfied that is one of the simplest ways to eat your veggies! You’ll love my zucchini oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, too.
Extra Chocolate Recipes
Description
This tremendous wealthy and moist chocolate zucchini cake is topped with the most effective chocolate frosting—you received’t even style the greens!
Cake
Chocolate Buttercream
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease two 9-inch spherical cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the muffins seamlessly launch from the pans. (If it’s useful, see this parchment paper rounds for muffins video & publish.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder (if utilizing), and salt collectively in a big bowl. In one other giant bowl utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, bitter cream, and vanilla collectively till mixed. Add the zucchini and blend to include. Add the dry substances to the batter and beat on medium velocity till fully mixed. Fold within the chocolate chips. Batter can be barely thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for round 28–32 minutes or till the muffins are baked via. To check for doneness, calmly poke the highest of the cake along with your finger—if it bounces again as a substitute of leaving , the cake is finished. Or you may insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake—if it comes out clear, it’s accomplished.
- Set the muffins on a cooling rack and let cool within the pans for 1 hour. After 1 hour, take away the muffins from the pans, discard the parchment rounds, and let the muffins end cooling immediately on the rack. The muffins should be fully cool earlier than frosting and assembling.
- Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium velocity till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoons of cream, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low velocity for 30 seconds, then regularly improve to excessive velocity and beat till it’s easy and creamy. Don’t over-whip. Add 1/4 cup extra confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder if frosting is simply too skinny or 1–2 extra Tablespoons of cream if frosting is simply too thick. (I normally add 1 extra.) Style. Add one other pinch of salt if desired.
- Assemble and frost: First, utilizing a big serrated knife, slice a skinny layer off the tops of the muffins to create a flat floor. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer in your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cowl the highest with a heaping cup of frosting. High with 2nd cake layer and unfold the remaining frosting all around the high and sides. Pipe any leftover frosting on high. (I used Wilton 1M tip.) Embellish with chocolate sprinkles or chocolate chips if desired. Slice and serve.
- Cowl leftover cake and retailer at room temperature for as much as 2 days or within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward Directions: Put together muffins and frosting 1 day upfront. Hold muffins at room temperature, lined tightly. Refrigerate ready frosting in an hermetic container, then carry to room temperature when prepared to make use of. Frosted or unfrosted muffins could also be frozen as much as 2 months, thaw in a single day within the fridge and produce to room temperature, if desired, earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Field Grater | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | 9-inch Spherical Cake Pan | Cake Turntable | Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Cake Service (for storage)
- Blot the Zucchini: Give the shredded zucchini a really gentle blotting with a towel. Don’t squeeze an excessive amount of moisture out, just a bit blot earlier than including to the moist substances. I personal and love this field grater—works rapidly!
- 9×13-inch Cake: Concerned with making a sheet cake as a substitute? This batter will match right into a 9×13-inch pan. The bake time is lengthy—at the least 45 minutes to make sure the thick cake is baked via. Similar oven temperature.
- Non-Chocolate Zucchini Cake: In search of zucchini cake with out chocolate? Right here is my common zucchini cake topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting.
- Cupcakes: This recipe yields 24–30 cupcakes. Bake for 18–22 minutes or till a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out *largely* clear with no moist batter. Similar oven temperature.
As a substitute of cake, strive these as cupcakes! Instructions within the recipe Notes above.
