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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Got tons of zucchini from the garden this week and came across this recipe. Absolutely delicious! I have never been successful with a Bundt, so I made it in a 9×13 pan and it finished after 40 minutes at 325. The cake is moist and rich but not too sweet. I topped it with a cream cheese frosting as suggested in the post and loved the tang of the cream cheese with the rich cake. Thank you for a great recipe I will use whenever I have extra zucchini around!
Hi Chris, so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I make this every summer and I will have to try it with the cream cheese frosting next time. Cheers!
I’ll be baking this cake this evening with my girls. I am already positive and excited that it will turn out great! Lol!
Zoe, this cake is a winner! It turned out beautifully. Used semi-sweet chocolate chips and served each slice with a little dollop of cream cheese frosting. Still working our way through it and at the half-way point, will slice it up and pop it in the freezer for when we get a chocolate craving.
This was a gorgeous…dark, rich, chocolatey but not too sweet. I’ve only made a bundt cake one other time, and was nervous, but your instructions made the it come out perfectly from the mold. Will probably be my go-to chocolate cake! Thank you Zoe
So thrilled you love it! My family loves it too. Cheers!
I have made this cake over and over and it has always turned out delicious! My family loves it! I have also frosted it with a ganache and also vanilla buttercream….delicious either way. Best way to eat zucchini!
Wow! This is the most moist and tender zucchini cake with wonderful chocolate flavor. My kids about cried when they saw the zucchini go into the batter (they don’t like zucchini much). I told them to trust me and now this is their favorite cake. Love that you don’t have to drain the zucchini! Will make again for sure!
Yay!! My kids love this cake too. So glad you enjoyed it!
This Is DELICIOUS! My brother, who doesn’t like any cake recipies, found one that he LOVES! We love this, it’s so chocolaty and moist! I’ve never had a more moist cake. Thank you, so much! I will definitely make this again!
That’s amazing! So glad you all enjoyed it. Cheers!
What a delicious rich cake! Thank you for sharing it.
I haven’t made this yet but I want to make it for Christmas as an alternative for those that don’t like Christmas Pudding. Do you think I could just make this in a Pudding bowl so it will still look like a pudding ? I would then serve it with a hot chocolate sauce. Thanks
Hi Jenny,
That’s a great question. Do you mean you want to bake it in a water bath? Or you just want to bake it in the bowl shape instead of a Bundt pan? The beauty of a Bundt pan is that heat comes up through the middle so it bakes more evenly and isn’t over baked on the edges and stodgy in the middle. I’ve never tried either but am curious now.
Thanks! Zoë
Absolutely delicious… will definitely make again. The family loved it!!
I haven’t made yet but can’t wait to…
I make a gf zucchini bread that I also do not squeeze the liquid out of… it make the bread so moist and everyone loves it!!
This cake is delicious! Nobody suspected the zucchinis! Not too sweet, just perfect!
Absolutely most moist and delicious chocolate cake ever. Chocolate chip cookie and brownie recipes are the best also.
It came out perfectly! Beautiful recipe. Crowd pleaser!
This was the best chocolate zucchini cake I have ever had much less made! I am not the best baker but this cake came out fantastic! Great flavor, my family absolutely loved this cake!!!
Great! Moist and super flavorful.
I don’t bake a lot but holy cow, this is really pretty much perfect. The crumb, the slightly crispy crust, the subtle sweetness, the moist but not to moistness, and the fact that it’s zucchini but no one would ever know it (especially kids) is amazing. The best cake I’ve made. Well done Zoe!
This recipe is SO good. Mine ended up a little more moist than it should have due to the flour I used, but I put it in the fridge overnight to firm it up and it is even better today! I also used coconut oil instead of butter and it worked perfectly.
This is a beautiful cake, thank you so much!!!