This chocolate zucchini cake is incredibly moist and fudgy with a delicious chocolate flavor and creamy chocolate frosting. The zucchini dissolves as the cake bakes, so you can’t tastes it whatsoever. Ultra indulgent – this cake can be made as a layer cake or in a 9×13 inch pan.

If you’re looking for an incredibly moist and fudgy chocolate cake – then I urge you to try this chocolate zucchini cake. It’s made almost a pound of grated zucchini and you end up with the ultimate chocolate cake. You don’t taste the zucchini. Instead, the zucchini dissolves as the cake bakes to give you what might just be the fudgiest chocolate cake you’ve ever tried.

In no way am I claiming that grated zucchini means this cake is healthy. This chocolate zucchini cake is simply my favorite way of using up garden zucchini and leads to the fudgiest chocolate cake around.

The recipe itself is really simple and I’ve included options for multiple different pan sizes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 cups all-purpose flour. Flour provides the structure for your cake. Be sure to measure correctly (whisk and spoon into a dry measuring cup or use a scale).
• 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa. You’ll want to use Dutch processed cocoa – sometimes called Specialty Dark – instead of natural cocoa powder. Dutch processed in darker in color and will provide a richer flavor.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. In recipe testing, I found the combination of both gave the best results.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt. To balance out the sweetness. Don’t forget!
• 1 cup granulated sugar (white sugar) plus 3/4 cup brown sugar. Using the combination provides more depth of flavor. In addition, the brown sugar also provides added moisture.
• 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup butter. This recipe uses both butter and oil for the fat. I found that using just oil made the cake a little too greasy tasting. Using a combo of both keeps the cake moist for longer (thanks to the oil) but ensures that the cake isn’t too greasy in texture (thanks to the butter).
• 3 large eggs. Eggs provide lift and add moisture. Be sure your eggs are at room temperature before getting started.
• 1/3 cup sour cream. Because I wanted this cake to be incredibly moist and fudgy, this recipe uses sour cream as opposed to milk as the liquid. You could also substitute sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. For added flavor.
• 1-2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (or instant coffee powder). The instant espresso powder helps to enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake. You can’t actually taste any coffee in the baked cake though.
• 3 cups grated zucchini. Be sure to measure after grating. You want to use fresh zucchini for the best results. There’s no need to peel the zucchini first. Simply cut off the ends and grate with a box grated.

Making Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I’ve included step by step photos below along with recipe tips. As a whole, this cake comes together with very little effort because there’s no creaming process.

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350F (180C) and preparing your cake pans. If using round pans, you’ll need to lightly grease the sides and place rounds of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan (the rounds are necessary so that the baked cake layers slide out of the pans). If using a 9×13 inch pan, simply grease the bottom and sides then dust with cocoa powder.
2. To prepare the zucchini you’ll grate 3 full cups using the regular box grater (as opposed to a zester or the side you’d use to grate fine parmesan). If you have a very wide zucchini, and therefore long strands, I recommend chopping the zucchini strands so that they aren’t much longer than about 1 inch. Then gently blot with paper towel to remove excess liquid. The zucchini won’t be dry – you just don’t want it sopping wet.

3. Then in a large bowl you’ll sift together the dry ingredients and then whisk together (flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar) . Note that for this recipe, I include the the granulated sugar with the dry ingredients.
4. Then in a separate large bowl you’ll whisk together the oil, melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla and instant espresso powder. I include the brown sugar and instant espresso powder with the wet ingredients because the liquids help them dissolve.

5. You’ll make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into the well. Do a few stirs by hand using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the ingredients look about 50-60% combined. At this point, you will not be able to incorporate all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. That’s OK and expected.

6. Add the shredded zucchini into the batter and gently mix together. I recommend a few stirs by hand fist then use an electric mixer on a low speed for about 10-20 seconds. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see lumps or streaks of dry ingredients. Overmixing will cause air tunnels in the baked cake.

7. You’ll then divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans and bake in the middle of the preheated oven. Whichever pan size you’ve selected, when the cake is done baking you should see it start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top will look set. An inserted toothpick or cake tester should come out clean and without any gooey cake batter. Note: If you’re unsure if the cake is done baking, I recommend baking for a few extra minutes. Because this cake is so incredibly moist, it’s unlikely that it will dry out.

Pan Sizes & Bake Times

This recipe can be baked using multiple different pan sizes. For the simplest version, I recommend using a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan because there’s no need to assemble cake layers.

• Two 8 inch (20 cm) rounds with 2 inch (5 cm) sides (as pictured) – bake time 40-45 minutes
• Two 9 inch (23 cm) rounds – bake time 28-35 minutes
• 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan – bake time 40-50 minutes, half the frosting recipe
• 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) square pan – divide the cake recipe in half, bake time about 30-35 minutes
• Cupcakes – use this recipe

You’ll love this chocolate zucchini cake because it’s so incredibly moist and fudgy. The chocolate flavor is decadent without being too sweet or too rich, and the addition of creamy chocolate frosting really takes it to the next level. It’s also delicious served without frosting (I recommend baking in a 9×13 inch pan for this option), and adding 1 cup of chocolate chips into the batter.

If you’re looking for more zucchini recipes, then be sure to try:

• Zucchini Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Zucchini Banana Bread
• Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins