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This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is a deep, dark chocolate cake that is topped with light and fluffy chocolate whipped cream! With 3 cups of zucchini, it is incredibly moist and you won’t even notice all the vegetables!
If you’ve got an abundance of zucchini and you’re looking for more ways to use it, try these Zucchini Chips, these Cheesy Zucchini Fritters, or this Cinnamon Zucchini Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
If you are a gardener and you’ve planted zucchini this year, you may be searching for about 500 different ways to use it! Zucchini plants are the gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving. It always makes everything so moist and delicious!
This chocolate zucchini cake is one of my favorite ways to use zucchini because it uses a good amount (a whopping 3 cups), and it is so rich, so moist, and has this incredibly deep dark chocolate flavor. I love to top it off with a light and fluffy chocolate whipped cream — it’s sweet and chocolatey but light enough that it really lets the cake shine. If you want something a little sweeter, the chocolate cream cheese frosting from these chocolate zucchini cupcakes would be a wonderful addition!
Ingredients in Chocolate Zucchini Cake
These ingredients make a moist, chocolately cake that will leave your mouth watering! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
Cake
- Sugar: Add some sweet flavor to the base of the cake.
- Buttermilk: You can use store bought buttermilk or you can make it easily at home using this recipe.
- Eggs: I always use large eggs when I am cooking and baking.
- Vanilla: Add a splash of vanilla flavor to the cake!
- Flour: Level out the flour when you measure it out so you get just the right amount. I used all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Cocoa Powder: This is the ingredient that will give you that delicious chocolatey flavor.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These will help your cake to rise and become soft and fluffy.
- Salt: The salt enhances the flavors of all of the other ingredients.
- Zucchini: This adds all of the moisture into this chocolate zucchini cake! You will need at least 1 large zucchini or 2 small zucchini to make enough for this cake.
Creamy Chocolate Topping
- Heavy Whipping Cream: This makes the topping so light and creamy!
- Powdered Sugar: This adds a sweet flavor to the heavy cream and keeps the topping nice and smooth.
- Cocoa Powder: Make this a chocolate flavor with the cocoa powder!
- Vanilla: The vanilla enhances all of the sweet flavors.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This cake is simple and delicious. It packs a punch with flavor and the texture is so soft and moist, that it’s to die for! Your family will go crazy over it!
Cake
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×13″ pan (line with parchment paper if desired).
- Whisk: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Combine: Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and stir until combined.
- Stir: Stir in zucchini, just until combined.
- Bake: Spread into prepared pan and bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Set the chocolate zucchini cake aside to cool to room temperature.
Creamy Chocolate Topping
- Combine: In a medium bowl, combine cream, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla.
- Beat: Beat with an electric mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
- Spread: Spread over cooled chocolate zucchini cake and serve.
Variations on this Chocolate Zucchini Cake:
- Whole wheat flour: If you want to go a little healthier with this recipe, you can swap one cup of the flour for whole wheat flour and no one will notice.
- Add cinnamon: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter with the cocoa for a more traditional zucchini cake flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: Add a cup of chocolate chips to the batter before baking for extra melty little pockets of chocolate.
- Make it into a trifle: Cut into cubes and use a base for an easy trifle, with chocolate whipped cream and fresh fruit.
How to store this Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This cake is best to be eaten on the same day because it starts to get a little bit soggy after that because it’s so moist.
- In the Fridge: Store this cake in an airtight container and it will last in your fridge for 1-2 days.
- In the Freezer: You can freeze the cake (before you add on the whipped topping) as long as you wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight container. It will last for about 3 months. When you are ready to eat it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then add on the whipped topping just before serving.
More Delicious Zucchini Recipes
If you still have leftover zucchini that you need to use then I have some more recipes for you to try! The range from bread to treats to salads. So get your zucchini ready, you are going to love these!!
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups shredded zucchini about 2 small or 1 large
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×13" pan (line with parchment paper if desired).
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and stir until combined.
- Stir in zucchini, just until combined.
- Spread into prepared pan and bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Chocolate Frosting
- In a medium bowl, combine cream, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla.
- Beat with an electric mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
- Spread over cooled cake and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Has anyone tried this recipe in mini muffin pans? I know there is a cupcake recipe i could use, but I’m partial to this one because it doesn’t have oil/fat.
Hi June, thank you for your question. You should be able to bake these in cupcake tins, bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and reduce the baking time to 15-20 minutes. Check the cupcakes with a toothpick inserted into the center, when it comes out clean they are ready. Let me know how they turn out!
I have made this recipe a few times but I never tell people it is made with zucchini until after they eat it. Alway a big hit!
I am going try this as cupcakes. Simple enough to make with my grandson and gets a green vegetable in him. Genius!
Alyssa, I thank you for the recipes. Hope to get to try most of them for any occasion.
This was delightful. I’ve made chocolate zucchini cakes before, but the whipped cream frosting was a delicious variation. Also simple enough to make with the little ones, which is always a plus.
Hi Sue from Green Bay Wi, Woundering if I can add cherry pie fill to a choc. zucinni cake made with cake mix and
pudding???? Sorry, Sounds like alot but, DOESN’T THAT SOUND WONDERFUL!?!?
I haven’t tried that before! Please let me know how it turns out!
This is going to be my go to chocolate cake! So moist and delicious does not need oil or butter!
What kind of flour? Specifically curious about oat flour or rice flour. Would those work in the same amount as listed in the recipe?
I used all purpose flour in this recipe. I haven’t tried others so I’m not sure how they would turn out!
This cake was absolutely delicious!!! The cake was so easy with simple, staple ingredients. Insanely moist, light & spongy. The frosting was just as simple & just as delicious. Paired so nicely together. This is going to be my go-to chocolate cake! Thanks!!!!
Do you think using GF flour (1 to 1) kind would mess up this cake?
I haven’t tried that before so I’m not sure. Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
Any gluten free 1 to 1 ratio should work just fine.
Nope! I have made this recipe both ways. I use King Arthurs GF mix 1 to 1 and it works great!! The naysayers of GF can’t tell its GF. I also add some chocolate chips to mine…such a delicious recipe!!!
I was also wondering if it is correct to not have any oil or butter? Thanks
There was no oil and batter was too dry. I added oil and the cake is delicious.
No oil or butter??? Is that correct????
Did you squeeze out the liquid from the zucchini before adding to the batter?
No, you can just put it in.
Do you squeeze the liquid from the zucchini before adding to the batter?
No, just put it straight into the batter!
Thank you
So good and so yummy! Followed directions and it turned out great. I didn’t realize making a cake from scratch would be so easy, give it a try!
Did you peel the zucchini?
I do not peel my zucchini.