Unbelievably moist chocolate cake, studded with rich chocolate chips and frosted with the fluffiest chocolate buttercream frosting!
Although the word, “zucchini” doesn’t quite drum up thoughts of bliss or adoration, it has the extraordinary ability to create some of the most exquisite sweets.
And this Chocolate Zucchini Cake is PROOF of that…
I’ve tasted A LOT of chocolate cakes in my lifetime, but none of them come close to how incredibly moist this cake is. Not one dry crumb on the plate! It’s also supremely soft and pillowy–not overly dense like some cakes. And while the cake is absolutely exquisite on its own, the fluffy chocolate frosting just adds a whole new level of euphoria to this cake.
Seriously, who knew that a cake made with green squash could be so utterly divine?? I remember the very first time I had a piece of chocolate cake made with zucchini. I must’ve been 8 or 9 at the time, and I ate the most delicious slice of chocolate cake–every last crumb. Later on, I found out that it had a bunch of zucchini in it, and I was in absolute shock. Of course, that got me wondering…what else are my parents sneaking into my food that I’m not aware of?
So for all you mothers and fathers out there, if you’re looking for a way to sneak some extra vegetables into you picky child’s diet, this is definitely the cake for you!
Side note: Don’t blame me if your kids develop trust issues over this…
Now let’s dive into the anatomy of this scrumptious cake, shall we?
To infuse this cake with that deep dark chocolatey richness, I used dutch-processed cocoa powder. My brand of choice is Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder since it’s just as good as all the fancy schmancy dutch-processed cocoa powder and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. However, if you don’t have dutch-processed cocoa powder, natural cocoa powder will work just fine.
To intensify the flavor of the chocolate, I also like to add a little bit of instant espresso powder. If you’re not a fan of coffee, don’t worry! So little is added to the batter, that you won’t even taste it. Just like the zucchini, you won’t notice that there’s espresso in this cake.
Speaking of zucchini…
This cake contains a whole cup and a half of shredded zucchini. With that amount of veggies, one might call this cake a health food. Just forget the fact that it contains a bunch of sugar and chocolate chips…
The zucchini does not need to be peeled before you grate it. I would, however, recommend lightly blotting the shredded zucchini with a paper towel just because zucchini tends to release a lot of liquid right after it’s shredded. Don’t squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini, since its moisture is still needed to keep the cake moist.
Although butter adds more flavor, I opted for a mix of vegetable oil and sour cream. Oil just does a better job of creating that moist and fluffy crumb that isn’t too dense or heavy. Sour cream is also great for creating soft and tender cakes, but it also helps cakes rise properly since the acidity of sour cream activates baking soda’s leavening powers. #Science #KindOf
While some might argue that adding chocolate chips to this cake is a bit excessive, I would say don’t listen to those fun-killing hooligans. The chocolate chips add an extra layer of flavor AND texture as they soften during the baking process, creating delicious pockets of chocolatey goodness throughout the cake.
Now onto the frosting!
Ganache and fudge frosting seemed a bit too heavy for this kind of cake since it’s already so moist and dark chocolatey. So I opted for a light, fluffy, and ULTRA creamy chocolate frosting to balance out the flavor and texture of the cake.
To make the frosting, you’ll start by melting some semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl until completely smooth. I usually heat them in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until there are no more lumps of chocolate. The melted chocolate needs about 15 minutes to cool to room temperature, so that it doesn’t melt the frosting when it’s added. You also don’t want it too cool so long that it solidifies.
The next step is to beat some butter, salt, vanilla and powdered sugar together until smooth. Once the melted chocolate has come to room temperature, it’s poured into the bowl, and everything is mixed together on high until smooth. To fluff up the frosting, a few tablespoons of milk or cream are whipped into the frosting. You should end up with the most heavenly cloud of chocolate frosting imaginable.
Now BEFORE frosting cake, make sure that the cake is completely cool before frosting it. You don’t want your precious frosting to melt all over the cake. ALSO, it might seem like there’s too much frosting for the cake, but trust me, you’ll want to use ALL of it. The frosting is so light and not the least bit overly sweet–it complements the cake incredibly well.
If you want, you can easily double the recipe and bake the cake in a 9×13-inch baking dish. I SO totally regret that I didn’t.
There’s honestly no better way to get your recommended serving of fruits and vegetables in than this Chocolate Zucchini Cake…
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup shredded zucchini lightly blotted*
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Frosting:
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the oil, sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and zucchini together until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Make the Frosting:
- Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, salt, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and continue beating until combined.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl, and mix on high until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the milk/cream, a tablespoon at a time, until frosting is lightened in color and has a whipped consistency.
- Spread frosting evenly on top of cooled cake. Slice into pieces, serve, and enjoy!