Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Unbelievably moist chocolate cake, studded with rich chocolate chips and frosted with the fluffiest chocolate buttercream frosting!
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!
Notes
*I recommend lightly blotting the shredded zucchini with a paper towel since 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.