Triple Chocolate Zucchini Cake
A rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with a healthy twist, perfect for any chocolate lover. Dairy + egg free, optional gluten free!
A super moist and super chocolatey cake that mixes up in one bowl! With lots of zucchini, you can almost call this cake a serving of vegetables. Cocoa powder in the cake and then both cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips in the frosting make for a rich and decadent cake that is a delicious end of summer treat!
Ingredients
For the full list of ingredients, plus recipe measurements, please see the recipe box below!
Zucchini
Obviously you need nice zucchini for this cake! It has a super mild flavor that if you squint, you can taste but it doesn’t overwhelm the flavors. It provides a TON of moisture which keeps this cake fresh in the fridge for days. And who doesn’t love sneaking some more veggies into their food?
You don’t have to peel the zucchini – I never do since I like to see the little flecks of zucchini in the cake. However, if you have picky eaters who might object to it, you can peel the zucchini so that they become basically undetectable.
Cocoa Powder
You can use either natural unprocessed cocoa powder or Dutch cocoa powder in this recipe. I typically use the unprocessed in this recipe, but the Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder is especially nice.
Variations
Need to make this gluten free? No worries! Simply replace the all purpose flour with your favorite brand of a gluten free flour blend. My favorite that I get the best results from is King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Want to enhance the chocolate flavor? Add 1 teaspoon of espresso or instant coffee to the batter before baking.
Method
When baking this, make sure that you don’t open the oven doors for at least the first 30 minutes of baking. The center of the cake will puff up and shouldn’t fall after removing from the oven. If the cake isn’t baked after 45 minutes, pop it back in the oven for another 5 minutes. It’s tough to over bake this cake because of how rich it is and with all the zucchini providing moisture. So don’t be afraid to over do it than under do it.
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Equipment
- Mixing bowls and spoons
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Box grater
- Hand mixer or stand mixer (for frosting)
- 8×8-inch (20×20-cm) baking pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
Zucchini Cake
- 2 medium to large zucchini about 200g after patting dry
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3/4 cup plant based milk
- 1/4 cup plant based yogurt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour gluten free, see notes below
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder natural or Dutch processed
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup plant based butter softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder natural or Dutch processed
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C making sure the oven rack is in the center of the oven. Line an 8×8-inch or 20×20-cm square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly spray. Set aside.
- Prep the zucchini. Wash the zucchini, slice in half lengthwise, and using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Using the large size of of a box grater, grate all the zucchini. Gently blot them with a clean kitchen towel to remove some of the moisture. You should have about 200 grams of zucchini after squeezing.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Into a large mixing bowl, add the squeezed zucchini along with the oil, plant based milk, yogurt, sugar, flax seeds, and vanilla. Mix this together until no oil is floating on top. Now add the cocoa powder to the wet ingredients. Whisk this together until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated, about 1 minute of good whisking. Adding this now ensures the chocolate is evenly distributed in the batter without over mixing the flour.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Now add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and any other optional ingredients (see below). Mix this carefully, making sure to not over mix. The batter will be very thick. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes. This cake is super thick and heavy and needs a good amount of time in the oven. You’ll know it’s done when the cake has pulled away from the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake pulls out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes in the hot pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, cream together the softened vegan butter with 1/2 a cup of powdered sugar. Mix on high for 3 minutes to get it fluffy. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, and remaining powdered sugar. Mix on low till all is incorporated, then mix on high for 4 minutes to make the frosting nice and fluffy. Spread out over the cooled cake.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Variations + Substitutions
- Need to make this gluten free? No worries! Simply replace the all purpose flour with your favorite brand of a gluten free flour blend. My favorite that I get the best results from is King Arthur Measure for Measure.
- Want to enhance the chocolate flavor? Add 1 teaspoon of espresso or instant coffee to the batter before baking.
- How to Store
- Keep this cake unfrosted on the countertop for up to 3 days. Any longer than that needs to be stored in the fridge.
- If you have frosted the cake, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. I find that it remains the softest if you wrap the cake in parchment paper and then pop it in a box in the fridge. The parchment paper helps to keep all the moisture in the cake so it doesn’t dry out.
Nutrition
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Mix up a batch of some delicious vegan chocolate recipes! Everything from classic vegan chocolate cake to a peanut butter chocolate protein shake. Enjoy!
