This chocolate zucchini cake recipe is from my book Zoë Bakes Cakes! It’s moist and sweet, but not overly so, and intensely chocolate-y for a decadent and addicting dessert.
This chocolate zucchini cake was inspired by one I ate while in college in Burlington, Vermont. I worked as a photo assistant, after classes at UVM and before my shifts at Ben & Jerry’s. One day we were photographing a spread for a magazine about using up the plethora of zucchinis from your garden.
A chocolate cake sat on a pedestal and became the centerpiece of the shot. After our work was done we ate the spread of food and that cake blew my mind. Not in a million years would you guess there was zucchini in it, and the result was moist, sweet, but not overly so, and intensely chocolate.
I was a starving student and the generous baker wrapped the rest of the cake for me to take back to my dorm, along with the recipe. During one of my several moves that recipe was lost and this is the closest I have come to recreating it from distant memories. The trick to this chocolate zucchini cake is not to squeeze the water from the zucchini, it’s exactly what makes it so moist. And, it’s one less step!
I found myself making this recipe years later after I left town for my brother’s wedding and the zucchini plants in my garden were a spindly, weak vine with dozens of tender blossoms. Two weeks later I returned home to find it had turned into a savage beast that took over precious real estate in the garden.
My neighbor had kindly taken care of my urban farm while I was away and now my kitchen counter was also filled with zucchinis. The excitement of seeing the fruits of my labor laying there ripe and ready to eat, quickly turned to shock and concern. I have never seen a vegetable, organic mind you, which grew to this size. It was larger than my children at birth. Actually, neither of the boys was this big until they were walking.
I opened the refrigerator and she had stuffed more in there. I panicked and did what every zucchini grower does, I tried to give them away. My neighbor explained that she had already taken all that she wanted for herself and I was not welcome near her home with even a single baby squash. That is when I realized I had to disguise the vegetable and get rid of it in the form of tasty baked goods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do you peel zucchini for baking? There’s no need to peel zucchini for this recipe! The peel is thin and you won’t even notice it’s in the cake.
- Can you substitute yellow squash for the zucchini in zucchini cake? Yes, you absolutely can and I’ve done it myself!
- Should I squeeze the zucchini to release the water? No. The recipe has taken this into account and it results in an ultra-moist chocolate cake and one less messy step to worry about!
- What should I use to shred zucchini for baking? You can use a box grater or a food processor with a grater attachment.
- Can I make these into chocolate zucchini muffins? Yes, fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full and bake for about 20-25 minutes or when a tester or toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Substitutions
This cake lends itself well to substitutions for dietary needs. Try one of these substitutions to see if it works for you!
- Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Replace the butter with the same amount of coconut oil.
- Use a dairy-free yogurt substitute in place of the yogurt or sour cream.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake Toppings
There are so many delicious toppings for this incredible cake. You can decide if you want to gild the lily, and here are a few options to choose from:
- A dusting of cocoa powder: simple and elegant.
- Cream cheese frosting: it’s good on everything, isn’t it?!
- Chocolate ganache: a beautiful option for extra chocolatey flavor.
The Beauty of the Bundt Pan
Below you’ll see a few of the bundt pans I’ve baked this cake in. Same cake, new look just by switching up the pan. Gotta love a bundt!
The bundt pan makes even a humble recipe into a party. The fancy shape of the pan does all the work, you just need to pick your style and be sure to follow my instructions for preparing the pan and baking in it so the cake pops out without sticking.
The pan I used for the top photo (same one I used on The TODAY Show) is the Classic Bundt Pan, which is one I recommend for every kitchen.
This recipe also fits into a Kugelhopf Mold, which gives a slightly sleeker look.
Or the new Anniversary Bundt pan by Nordic Ware for a more modern take on the cake.
I baked this cake with Hoda & Jenna on The TODAY Show, watch here!
Looking for other bundt cake recipes? Try this lemon bundt cake, apple-cider bundt cake with honey glaze, and chocolate bundt with white chocolate-raspberry cream.
Video
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (50g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder plus more for dusting
- 2 1/4 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) mild-flavored oil such as vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) plain full-fat yogurt or sour cream
- 2 cups (315g) packed, grated, unpeeled zucchini (don't squeeze out liquid) see note
- 4 oz (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate melted and cooled to room temperature
Optional Topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ / 165 degrees C. Generously grease a 12-cup / 2.8L and dust with cocoa powder.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, and 2/3 cup / 50g cocoa powder). Sift to remove any lumps.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer speed to low, add both sugars to the butter, and mix until incorporated. Drizzle in the oil and vanilla, turn the speed to medium-high, and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl often for even incorporation.
- Turn the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Scrape the bowl after each addition.
- Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed, just until combined. Add half the yogurt, mixing until incorporated. Repeat with another one-third flour, then the remaining yogurt, and finish with the final one-third flour, scraping the bowl and paddle after each addition.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the zucchini until it is evenly distributed. Then add the chocolate and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to make sure the batter has fully settled into the nooks of the Bundt.
- Bake until a cake tester or toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, about 1 hour. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it out onto a serving plate and dust the top with cocoa before serving. You could also top with chocolate ganache, if desired.
Notes
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My favorite chocolate cake recipe was a zucchini chocolate cake. I lost the recipe years ago but never forgot the dense crumb. It was delicious! Your recipe looks amazing and I am sure is MUCH better than the one I lost! Thanks so much for doing this!!
I think I’ll try this one with the zucchini from my latest CSA box. I developed a cayenne chocolate zucchini cake a few years back that I really like, but it gets mixed reviews because of the spice. Ah well, more for me. 🙂
I LOVED this recipe! The cake was absolutely delicious, and as far as my little brothers know it was just a yummy chocolate cake(have to keep the zucchini a secret). 😉 I think I am going to attempt your banana pudding recipe next. Can’t wait.
OMG I am completely mortified … I merged your recipes and made this cake in a round tin …. split into three layers and filled with your coconut custard cream filling and covered with chocolate butter icing … and even “dressed” it up by sprinkling fine cake crumbs as inspired by your blackout chocolate cake … BUT NO COMPLIMENTS ! Yikes – bad for the ego! I tasted each part individually and it seemed nice but I couldn’t access a proper ‘slice’ … was it a dumb idea for a combination?!
Hi Deflated,
All of those recipes are very dense and heavy, it is often best to combine heavy with light textures. A lighter cake would have made the others shine, the Devil’s Food would be a good base. Maybe just a scoop of ice cream for the zucchini cake next time.
Thanks for trying all those recipes! Zoë
Er-r-r-r, Z, you get rid of those zucchini by painting cute faces on them, wrapping them in baby blankets and setting them carefully on the steps of the Zen Center in SW Mpls — in the middle of the night. They are one with zucchini I am told. (*^;^*)
Hi Zoe,
Have you seen Gina DePalma’s recipe for zucchini cake with a crunchy lemon glaze? It is made with olive oil, which sounds odd but is so amazingly good. David Lebovitz posted a variation on his blog last year which is how I found it. If I had zucchini this year I’d definitely be making that cake again. It’s the best zucchini cake I’ve ever had.
Oh my!! I discovered your blog today, and I have been reading and reading and reading… I have already listed it as a favourite on my computer, so I am hereby a follower of your blog.
Have a nice day,
Line from Norway.
The cake looks yummy! Do you need to squeeze out the water from the zucchini before adding it to the batter?
Thanks.
Hi Roberta,
I do not squeeze out the zucchini first, makes it moist and saves you the trouble!
Thanks, Zoë
What a lovely cake!! I love any kind of zucchini baked treat, and chocolate just makes this one even more appealing. Thanks for sharing!
Found your website while searching for a chocolate zucchini cake recipe since I lost mine in our move last year. This is very similar to mine only I sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and use a 9×13. The bundt is beautiful, I may have to try this!
Thanks!
Nancy
One in the oven (zucchini cake that is), Two zucchini’s over to Sherri to bake one cake for herself and one for Paige. Now what to do with the rest of the zucchini’s…
Had two zucchini in my refrigerator and needed to make a brunch bread for a tea meeting this am. Made Zoe’s recipe last evening…it was amazing. Thank you for a GREAT recipe. It was a huge hit!
Hasnt it been weird this year??? We have had more critters then ever… slugs, bugs and the sort. Thank goodness there is a plethora so losing 25% hasnt been the worst thing to happen. 🙂
Happy baking!
Amanda
Oh! And beautiful cake. 🙂
I loved reading the post! Best description of home grown zucchini.
And that cake is so pretty. You almost don’t feel like cutting it. 😉
Have been doing the disguising act for many veggies for my kids…love this gorgeous Zucchini bake!
How funny! Zucchini or courgettes as we call them here in the UK do GO MASSIVE! The cake looks delicious anyway so silver lining!
I used to grow zucchini – but found it was not necessary. Someone will give it to you. When I was in your shoes I did lots of zucchini choc cake and even did zucchini marmalade which sent the neighbors into guffaws and stunned silence.
That is a beautiful zucchini bundt cake. I could just see myself with so much zucchini…feeling like my brown thumb had finally turned super green…and then panicking. I love the photo of the powdered sugar dusting the top of the cake.
this is one of my faves…
Looks delicious! I love desserts like this that aren’t too sweet but still have a lot of flavor. I live in the city and don’t yet have my own garden, but someday I look forward to overflowing, pain-in-the-butt zucchini! 🙂
This looks so delicious! I’ve had enough zucchini bread this summer, but I’ll have to give this a try!
I’m pretty much crazy for chocolate zucchini cakes. Every time I see a different variant on the theme, I have to stop and gawk. There is synergy when zucchini and chocolate collide; love the bundt pan delivery!
My obsession began because I grew up with my Grandma always making this particular rendition every summer, and I still repeat it a few times every season just to satisfy myself. Always a great excuse to let your zucchini get out of hand! =)
So funny Zoe! Last year my son asked if next year we could only plant half a zucchini seed. He thought that might be manageable. So this year we planted two seeds and right now I have 9 on my kitchen counter and some still in the garden. I have a zucchini crisp recipe that uses 8 cups of cubed and tastes like apples. I’m making your chocolate cake now – my birthday cake.
I would love your recipie. My grandkids love zucchini and apples. We always have alot of zucchini in our garden every year.
Really amusing description, but also so true. A friend of mine has zucchini in her garden and she always tries to give them away – and she has no success with giving them away either. As long as they are small or tiny I’m happy to take them, because you don’t even need to remove the seeds and they just taste great with some thyme. But bigger ones, hmm, well they really have to end up in a cake, because they don’t have to much flavor. Unfortunately zucchini is growing really fast, you have to pick them when small, otherwise you’ll run into these giant problems you described.
What a hilarious description of home-grown zucchini! I laughed out loud. As funny as they look, be glad the grow at all! We’ve had miserable luck with ours this year, and didn’t get a single one.
Hi Maia,
I’d be happy to send them to you! 😉
Cheers, Zoë