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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This is THE best chocolate cake I‘ve ever had! I made it a couple times already and everyone is always amazed at how fluffy, moist and chocolatey it is! 100% recommend!
I love chocolate zucchini anything and I can’t wait to try this! A former coworker always had zucchini in her garden and would bring it in to share with everyone. They looked like really fat baseball bats!
I made this yesterday and it was very crumbly. I followed the recipe to a T, except that I only had fat-free Greek yogurt, but I can’t imagine that this made such a huge difference. The flavor was good but the texture was a bit off.
Hi Ronnie! Sorry to hear your cake turned out crumbly. The fat-free yogurt probably wouldn’t change the texture too much, but it could be a few things: did you use a scale to measure? If not, it could be too much flour. It also could be over baked to result in that texture. Finally, did you squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini? All of these are possibilities for why it would result the way it did. I hope this helps!
WOW!!! This is the most perfect cake I have ever had. Not too sweet, perfect moist texture. Heaven in each bite! Thank you, Zoe. I will only use this recipe from now on.
This was the best Zucchini Cake recipe. Perfect amount of sweetness. I used the Nordicware Anniversary series (basket weave design) like above, but these were the brownie size bundtini’s. Friends loved it.
A delicious cake! It’s rich but not overwhelmingly so, great for snacking on. I was out of dutched cocoa, so I used natural and added 1/2 t baking soda (using the rule of adding 1/8 t baking soda per 3 tablespoons cocoa when you substitute natural for dutch processed), which seemed to be the right adjustment because the texture was great. In case anyone else is in my boat and wondering how it will work, hope this helps. 🙂
Excellent. So perfectly moist and chocolate-y without being overly rich.
This cake is fabulous! It was easy to make and very moist. Everyone enjoyed it! I have had chocolate zucchini cake in the past and never enjoyed it. This was wonderful.
I love all your recipes and books. And you, you’re the best!
This just made me laugh! Saw you making this on Instagram and will definiely give it a try. If only I had a neighbor with zucchinis – I’m afraid I’ll have to buy mine in the store.
Zoe, this is the best chocolate cake I’ve made.
Zucchini is already plural – why add an s?
Hi Susan,
Just to make sure you are paying attention! 😉
Zoë
I halved the recipe and baked it in a loaf pan for about an hour and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, this cake sounds delicious. Would it work as cupcakes? I find when I serve a cake people only want a “little” slice. But if I serve cupcakes they always take a whole cupcake. How long would you suggest to bake them? TIA
This cake looks amazing! I love chocolate and zucchini together!
What can I substitute for yogurt to make it non-dairy?
Thank you for all these wonderful recipes. My granddaughter and I will try this for a church during.
What a tantalizing looking cake. I just had to try it.
Next time I make it I was thinking about just adding semi-sweet choc. chip straight into batter. Decadent!
Hi Zöe,
Wd you have a recipe for an eggless chocolate cake? I tried the search box, but it didn’t help…
R
Hi Radhika,
This is a chocolate cupcake recipe without eggs: http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2009/12/09/triple-chocolate-cupcakes-from-new-vegetarian-by-robin-asbell-win-a-signed-copy/
Thanks and enjoy! Zoë
Zoe:
The only cakes I make on a regular basis involve the bundt pan…love the touch of crispness that the bundt pan lends to a dense cake…I discovered your Chocolate Zucchini last year and have made it many times including cakes to give as gifts. The recipe was again on my top zucchini “to do” list this summer and your recipe never fails me. Thanks for sharing. This is an excellent cake…particuarly with fresh whipped cream and fresh raspberries!
Ronda
How do I print only a recipe, I don’t want all these comments, they are of no interest to me and a terrible waste of time and paper.
Joanna
Hi Joanna,
You can cut and paste post into WORD then delete whatever you want.
Thank you, Zoë
It does not say when to add the melted 4oz of chocolate ? .?
Hi Joan! It’s in step 7. Cheers!
I make regular zuchinni cake but this chocolate one sounds yummy. I grate the zuchini and freeze it. put 4 cups of grated squash in a bag.when you are ready to use it squeeze most of the water out and it is like fresh.
Hi Zoe!
I’ve noticed that your Bundt Cakes always come out perfectly flat while mines are always domed and with a deep crack. I’ve tried many different recipes and oven temperatures. Can you give some advice?
Thanks.
…it helped a lot when I learned you can eat zucchini raw in a salad. they have been my “starving student” food for months, ’cause they are so cheap. then I couldn’t even think of the taste anymore! 🙂 now I hide them gradually in some dishes (grated. with loads of spices.) and maybe one day…
baking with them is new to me, but I’m really looking forward to trying your recipe!
Hi Zoe! You are a hilarious storyteller! But you are a magnificent baker too. I love vegetables in disguise. I doubt if there’d be leftover of this stuff the next day for breakfast as what you’ve said…
Oh send me some please! for some reason my mom’s zucchini did not do well this year. She usually has a few bushels-ful to give away, but not this year. I am missing my zucchini. 🙁 … but I have eggplant! and cucumbers galore. Gargantuan cucumbers almost as big as zucchini. Whatever do you do with THOSE? Do you suppose you could make a cucumber cake? LOL
Hi Ann,
Oh, do write and let me know if you come up with the cucumber cake! 😉
Thanks, Zoë