Fluffy, decadent, and gooey, chocolate zucchini cake is a quick bake with a dessert-leaning taste. With cocoa doing its magic and tangy cream cheese frosting playing off the flavors of chocolate chips, the bread quickly became an easy favorite in my home.
It’s not dense, rises beautifully, and is super moist thanks to the zucchini. And, oh, if the thought of a vegetable in a cake is putting you off, rest easy. It’s just to add bulk and moisture, not flavor, to the tender crumb.
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Chocolate zucchini cake recipe
How to make chocolate zucchini cake?
If you need any reason to try this chocolate zucchini bread recipe, then make it this: it’s a great, great way to sneak a veggie into cakes. Yes, there’s chocolate involved, but that doesn’t take away the fact that you’re munching on a vegetable with this dessert!
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.
Step 2: In a blender, blitz together coconut oil, vanilla extract, eggs, and brown sugar till you have a smooth mixture.
Step 3: Add the wet ingredients to your dry ingredients. If the batter feels too thick, stir in a quarter or one-third cup of warm milk to thin it down.
Step 4: Stir in the grated zucchini and dark chocolate chips.
Step 5: Pour it in a greased pan. I used an 8-inch round tin. And bake for 45 to 50 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean or just a couple of moist crumbs attached. As ever, I advise you to keep an eye on the bread after the 35-minute mark, as all oven temperatures vary.
Step 6: Allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Slice and serve.
Sprucing up the fudgy chocolate zucchini cake
Serve the chocolate zucchini bread as-is without a qualm. It’s a nice, rich treat that pairs well with tea and is delicious as an after-dinner treat. But if you’re itching to bite into something that vaporizes all manners of troubles, top it with cream cheese frosting.
It’s my favorite way to garnish cakes and breads, and it truly elevates the experience. To make the frosting, whisk together the cream cheese, cream, and icing sugar until smooth and lump-free. Slather it on top of the zucchini bread. As a last summery touch, place a few edible flowers.
FAQs on easy chocolate zucchini cake
Why use zucchini in baking?
Zucchini is not a vegetable we typically associate with dessert but trust me, it is completely at home in this chocolate cake. Don’t freak out about it because it lends no flavor to the bread.
Think of it like a banana that adds a ton of moisture to the crumb, a boatload of texture, and oodles of volume. Being 95% water, zucchini simply keeps the bread moist for a long, long time.
Do you peel zucchini for bread?
No, you don’t need to peel the zucchini for this chocolate bread. Grate it coarsely with the skin on, and you’ll love the colorful specks playing hide-and-seek in the crumb.
How do you make vegan chocolate zucchini bread?
Substitute the eggs with flax eggs by mixing water with flaxseed powder and switching to plant-based milk.
How do you make a gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake?
Use any gluten-free flour you prefer instead of all-purpose flour, and skip the almond meal.
How do you make chocolate zucchini bread healthy?
The recipe is already healthy-ish, but you can make it more so by replacing all-purpose flour with whole-wheat, buckwheat, or finger millet flour. I made almond meal by grinding almonds in my coffee grinder with the skin on. You can easily substitute it with store-bought almond flour. And of course, leave out the frosting!!
A few ingredient alternatives for chocolate cake with zucchini
Oil: Any vegetable oil that suits your palate will do wonders here.
Eggs: I haven’t tried the eggless version of this recipe, but flax eggs are a safe substitute.
Sugar: Brown sugar brings a caramel flavor to the zucchini bread. But raw sugar and coconut sugar make excellent alternatives.
Zucchini: Feel free to increase the amount of zucchini. I used a cup ( tightly packed), but one and a half cups or even two will not be a problem. Just remember that the bread will take longer to bake since the moisture content will be higher. If you’re not too enthused about seeing minuscule green specs scattered across the bread, grate the zucchini as finely as possible.
Chocolate chips: I was conservative with the chocolate chips in this recipe. At least by my standards. But don’t let that stop you from loading up the batter with more.
Give the chocolate zucchini bread a whirl because it’s
A quick bake that is not overly sweet
An easy recipe with a boost of nutrition
A great snack that does the work of a delicious dessert simply by adding some frosting!
More delicious recipes
Vegan Cornmeal Zucchini Pancakes
Cream Cheese Swirl Banana Bread
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup ( 130 gms) All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ( 65 gms) Almond meal
- 1/2 cup ( 45 gms) Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup ( 100 gms) Oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup ( 115 gms) Brown sugar
- 1/3 cup ( 80 gms) Milk, lukewarm
- 1 cup ( 120 gms) Grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup ( 90 gms) Dark chocolate chips
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup ( 60 gms) Cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 tbsp Cream
- 1/3 cup ( 35 gms) Icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease an 8" cake tin.
- Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add lukewarm milk.
- Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for a few minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting on the cooled cake. Decorate with edible flowers and sprinkles. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
Cream cheese frosting
- Combine the cream cheese, cream, and icing sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy.
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