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Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

By Britney
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 12
chocolate zucchini cake on a piece of parchment paper topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate shavings.
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe is perfect for chocolate lovers! It's a fudgy cake with a deep chocolate flavor, and is so easy to make.

Equipment

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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups (240 g) Zucchini, (grated)
  • 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
  • 2/3 cup (147 g) Brown Sugar
  • 2/3 cup (158 ml) Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream, (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Buttermilk, (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp (1 tsp) Vanilla Extract
  • 2 large (100 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
  • 1 3/4 cups (219 g) All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 2 tsp Espresso Powder
  • 1 cup (85 g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, (not dutch process)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Coffee, (hot)

Chocolate Ganache Topping

  • 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2/3 cup Heavy Cream
  • Pinch Kosher Salt

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
  • Grate the zucchini with a box grater and place into a large bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and set aside while mixing together the batter. 2 cups Zucchini
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk together until combined, about 1 minute. 1 cup Sugar 2/3 cup Brown Sugar 2/3 cup Olive Oil 1/2 cup Sour Cream 1/2 cup Buttermilk 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 large Eggs
  • Squeeze the zucchini, removing as much water as possible. Then place onto a paper towel and continue to squeeze until most of the water is gone. Add the squeezed shredded zucchini to the wet ingredients and whisk together. 
  • Then add in the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, cornstarch, espresso powder, natural unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Whisk until everything is fully combined and smooth, about 30 seconds, then pour in hot coffee and mix until combined, about 20 seconds. 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour 2 tbsp Cornstarch 2 tsp Espresso Powder 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1/2 cup Coffee
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  • While the cake is baking, make the chocolate ganache. Add heavy cream to medium bowl and microwave for 1 minute, until hot. Add chocolate chips and let it sit for 3 minutes, then mix together until smooth and all of the chocolate is melted. (if the chocolate has not fully melted, microwave in 10 seconds increments until melted - be careful not to burn!) Add a pinch of kosher salt and let it sit until the cake is completely cooled. 2/3 cup Heavy Cream 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips Pinch Kosher Salt
  • Let the cake cool for about 45 minutes, then pour the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and place into the refrigerator to set, about 1-2 hours.

Notes

  • Squeeze out excess moisture! This prevent the cake from becoming soggy/mushy while baking. Sprinkle a little salt on the grated zucchini and let it sit while you're preparing the batter. The salt will not make the cake salty, it helps pull out the water. Give it a good squeeze and remove as much water as possible! 
  • Don't skip the coffee! ​This gives the cake a deep chocolate flavor. Make sure its piping hot for best results! 
  • Use room temperature ingredients - this applies to the eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk for this recipe. It helps the batter blend smoothly, ensuring there's no uneven mixing. 
  • Test with a toothpick, not just timing. Chocolate cakes can look done but still be gooey inside. Start checking 5 minutes before the recipe’s bake time ends by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. You don't want it to be fully clean, you want it to have a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake.

Nutrition

Calories: 526kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 333mg, Potassium: 437mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 39g, Vitamin A: 406IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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