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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    March 26, 2021

    Chocolate Zucchini Cake

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    Chocolate Zucchini Cake gets its moist texture from loads of shredded zucchini! Topped with a buttery chocolate frosting, its a dessert that truly melts in your mouth!

    Jump to Recipe
    A stack of three slices of chocolate zucchini cake

    I'm SO pumped to finally have this recipe on the blog....for a couple reasons. First off, it's a super moist cake with the most delicious frosting that takes it over the top. But secondly, it's a recipe that I tested 5-6 times to get just right.

    Why did it take so long? I was trying to make a chewy zucchini brownie, but after a couple batches, I came to the conclusion that the texture/moisture content of zucchini just didn't work well in a brownie. All of my recipe variations were more cakey than a brownie, and I actually really liked it that way (reminded me of Texas Sheet Cake)! Then I topped it with this frosting and I knew it had to go on the blog!

    Zucchini cake on a white plate

    Why do people put zucchini in cake?

    I get it - it sounds strange to put a vegetable into a chocolate cake. But there are actually several reasons to do so! First off, zucchini helps create a moist cake with wonderful texture. And secondly, it has a very mild flavor, so you'd really never know there was zucchini in it just by tasting it. And lastly, why not sneak in veggies if it only makes it better?!

    A piece of cake being held with a bite taken out of it.

    How to prep the zucchini

    How do you choose the right zucchini?

    I prefer smaller zucchini as they tend to have more moisture and few seeds in the center. Super large zucchini tend to be a little more dry and are full of seeds. If you only have a large zucchini, that's fine. Just be sure to remove the seeds before shredding.

    Do you peel zucchini for cake?

    As you can see in the photo below, I do not peel it. I shred the zucchini fine enough that you can't even feel the texture of the skin in the cake, so it's not worth the time. You can certainly peel the zucchini if you'd like, though!

    How do you shred a zucchini?

    I find it super important to shred a zucchini pretty fine. As you can see in the photo below, I use a grater with a fine edge to shred the zucchini. That way you're getting all the moisture from the zucchini without the stringy texture in the final product.

    Shredded zucchini
    Batter being mixing in a bowl
    batter being poured in a pan
    frosting being poured on a cooled caked cake

    How to top the Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    This moist cake is honestly wonderful without the frosting. If you'd like, you can simply forget about the frosting and give it a dusting of powdered sugar. However, this frosting is incredible, so if you have a few extra minutes, I highly recommend giving it a try!!

    And then in true Kelsey fashion, I top mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There's just something about the combination of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream I just can't get enough of! I mean, just look at it......

    a piece of chocolate zucchini cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

    Other Zucchini Recipes

    • Looking for a bread recipe? Carlee's Zucchini Bread is moist, tender and full of shredded zucchini!
    • Looking for something healthy? These Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are one of my favorites!
    • Want something without chocolate? Say hello to these Zucchini Cookies topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting!
    a piece of cake on a fork.
    Slice of Chocolate Zucchini Cake on a white plate

    Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    kelsey
    This cake gets its moist texture from loads of shredded zucchini! Topped with a buttery chocolate frosting, its a dessert that truly melts in your mouth!
    5 from 3 votes
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    Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Servings 20

    Ingredients
      

    Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    • ½ c vegetable oil
    • 1 ½ c sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 ⅔ c flour
    • ½ c cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 c shredded zucchini packed

    Frosting

    • ¼ c salted butter
    • 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
    • 3 tablespoon milk
    • 2 c powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions
     

    Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.
    • In a large bowl whisk together the oil, sugar and vanilla.
    • Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt; stir. Batter with be very thick.
    • Stir in the shredded zucchini until the batter softens up a bit.
    • Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the center of the cake is done.

    Frosting

    • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.
    • Sift in the cocoa powder and add the milk. Whisk until combined then microwave until it's boiling.
    • Whisk in the vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.
    • Pour over the cake (can add when cake is still warm or when cake is cooled) and spread it out.
    Keyword cake, chocolate cake, zucchini
    Tried this recipe?Follow me at @dancearoundthekitchen.kelsey and let me know how you liked it!

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    about kelsey

    About Kelsey

    Combining my love for food and family is a pretty easy calculation. Almost all family gatherings include food… After all, a party without cake is just a meeting right? Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Regena says

      July 29, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      It's a Keeper!!! The recipe calls for just a few ingredients and is super simple to make. I only had Yellow Squash from our garden... so I used it. I also added 2 Tbs. of water because my batter was too dry. I baked mine in my 9x9 brownie pan and it came out Perfect!!!
      I cut the sugar in half in most recipes... But that's just me. The icing is delicious!! Chocolate Goodness!!
      I Love it!!

      Reply
    2. Laurel says

      July 31, 2021 at 1:53 pm

      5 stars
      Great cake! Stayed very moist.We just had a bit of whipped cream on ours.I used dark chocolate powder in mine.Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    3. Natalie says

      October 18, 2021 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      So easy and so chocolate-y!!! Everyone loved. I was skeptical that it didn’t call for eggs, and I was out of oil, so I used melted butter for the cake and the batter was a little crumbly at 1st, then I added a little bit of half and half. Worked perfect. Next time I plan to follow it exactly, given I have all the ingredients. This is a great recipe.

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        October 20, 2021 at 11:23 am

        So happy to hear, Natalie!!! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a wife, mother and BFFs with my KitchenAid mixer, happy to bring you easy meals and decadent desserts! Welcome to my blog!

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