This Super Moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake is going to be a family favorite! Supremely moist, tender and soft rich chocolate cake with hidden zucchini throughout and a irresistible chocolate ganache topping!
So I’m a little late to the party, but I realize now that I am a huge supporter of zucchini-based baked goods.
Yes, I’ve made my Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Cake and yes, they were AMAZING. But that was awhile ago and I had briefly forgotten how much I love zucchini-based desserts until I made this cake. The cake that would push me over the edge into zucchini-desserts worship status.
What’s odd is I love most fruit and veggie-based treats – zucchini bread/cake, banana bread/cake, pumpkin bread/cake… but keep your carrots away from me! I cannot hang with carrot cake, but thankfully I somehow managed to make my Carrot Cake recipe my most popular recipe on this site, sooo…
If you haven’t tried baking with zucchini yet, it is high time you tried. Zucchini is a great addition to baked goods because it is virtually flavorless but imparts SO much moisture to the baked good-in-question. And it’s an excellent way to sneak in vegetables for picky eaters, ahem – children. What’s great about this Chocolate Zucchini Cake is that the cocoa powder in the cake batter covers up any flecks of green zucchini, so kids will have NO idea they’re eating veggies. Score!
This cake starts like most does: oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour, leavening agents – but with the addition of cocoa powder and zucchini to add all that flavor and moisture. I like using a high-quality cocoa powder, like Rodelle Baking Cocoa, to use in chocolate-dessert recipes. It has an amazing, deep, rich flavor… but any cocoa powder should do!
I finish the cake off with a chocolate ganache drizzled on top, and some miniature chocolate chips for garnish. This cake is deep, rich, dark and totally divine…. and no one will know it is filled to the brim with fresh zucchini! A great way to use up your garden’s bounty of those green squashes.
Enjoy!
*adapted from Taste of Home
Super Moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup baking cocoa powder such as Rodelle
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup oil I like vegetable or canola
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded zucchini squash
- FOR THE GANACHE:
- One (4-ounce bar) semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease a 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan with shortening and flour or cooking spray; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and salt, whisking well to mix together. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until blended and smooth. Add to the dry mixture and mix on low-speed until incorporated. Fold in the grated zucchini.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely.
- Invert the cooled cake onto a wire rack with parchment paper lined underneath of the rack. Add the chopped chocolate bar to a small bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream in the microwave for 30 seconds or until hot to the touch. Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and let set for 5 minutes. Whisk together until the ganache becomes smooth and cohesive.
- Drizzle the ganache evenly over the cake and sprinkle liberally with the mini chocolate chips.
Rich, chocolaty, and utterly delicious – you are going to adore this cake!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
Marlene Schmuff says
Could another type of flour be substituted such as almond or coconut?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Marlene, you potentially could use a flour alternative, but flour alternatives like the ones you mentioned do not have an equal ratio to all-purpose flour in substitutions. For instance, 1 cup of AP flour does not equal 1 cup of almond flour equally in baking. I think a better substitute would be a cup-for-cup gluten free flour.