Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

You may not typically think of adding zucchini to a chocolate cake, but why not? Recipe developer Jessica Morone shares with Tasting Table that she likes to make this cake when she has fresh zucchini she wants to use or when she wants a rich, chocolatey dessert ... with a vegetable! The mild zucchini flavor blends right in with the chocolate and batter, leaving you with a veggie-filled dessert that doesn't taste like vegetables at all. 

Morone made this cake in a bundt pan because she likes the appearance of the end result. "I used a bundt pan for this recipe because I love the way it looks with the glaze on it. I think it's just very pretty and elegant," she says. Plus, she notes that using a bundt pan gives a slightly crisp edge to the cake all-over. 

That said, if you don't have a bundt pan, you don't need to go out and buy one. "If someone doesn't have a bundt cake pan, they can use a regular [9x13-inch] pan and bake [the cake] for about 30 minutes," she advises. Either way, your whole family will love this tasty, glazed chocolate zucchini cake ... even your kids. 

To make this chocolate zucchini cake, start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, vegetable oil, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, and milk. 

Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350 F degrees and spray a 10-inch bundt pan or tube pan with nonstick cooking spray.

If needed, you can make this cake non-dairy with a few easy recipe swaps. "You should be able to replace the milk and butter in this recipe with non-dairy milk and butter in a 1-to-1 ratio," Morone advises. 

The first step involves preparing the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients well. Set the dry mixture aside.

In a separate, large bowl, add the brown sugar, vegetable oil, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Using a whisk, combine these ingredients until they are smooth. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix gently until the batter comes together.

Now that your batter is ready, add the shredded and drained zucchini as well as the chocolate chips. Be sure that you drain the zucchini well to remove the excess moisture. 

Using a spoon, fold the chocolate chips and shredded zucchini into the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Use the toothpick test to check the doneness of the cake. Insert a toothpick into the cake and remove it. If there is batter on the toothpick, the cake will require more time in the oven. If not, the cake is done. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, then invert the bundt pan onto a wire rack and allow it to continue cooling outside the pan.

While the cake is cooling, you can make the glaze. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons milk. Whisk this mixture until it's smooth. If needed, you can add an additional tablespoon milk to thin out the glaze if it's a bit too thick. Once the cake has completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over top of the cake and serve.

And, if you happen to have leftovers, you can enjoy them for a few days. "You can store this cake by covering it and keeping it at room temperature for up to 3 days," says Morone.