Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
User Reviews
4.9
Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Description
The Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake features a batter made by mixing dry ingredients including cocoa, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda, then combining with wet ingredients such as melted butter, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract. Folding in shredded zucchini adds moisture and subtle vegetable flavor, while semisweet chocolate chips provide bursts of melted richness. The cake is baked in an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper for easy removal.
The cake has a tender, moist crumb with occasional pockets of melted chocolate. The shredded zucchini contributes to softness without overpowering the chocolate, and the combination of fats from butter and oil promotes a rich texture. The cocoa lends a deep chocolate flavor layered with the slight tartness of sour cream or yogurt.
Serve the cake plain or with the simple powdered sugar and milk frosting included in the recipe. It suits occasions that welcome a dessert with some vegetable content and a rich chocolate taste.
Using a glass pan requires a lower temperature and longer baking time. Properly squeezing out excess moisture from zucchini prevents a gummy texture, ensuring the cake holds a good crumb.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour measured correctly, plus 2 tablespoons (143 grams
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder measured correctly, 43 grams
- 1 cup light brown sugar 200 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, 57 grams
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil fresh
- 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature, full fat or plain whole milk yogurt, (120 grams
- 2 egg at room temperature, large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup zucchini from about 1 medium zucchini, shredded, (136 grams
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 170 grams
For the icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted, 63 grams
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan* with parchment paper then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil, sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until a few streaks of flour remain. Squeeze out any additional moisture from the shredded zucchini before adding to the batter (see recipe post for tips on reducing excess moisture, which will create a gummy cake texture). Add in the chocolate chips. Stir until just barely combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. If your cake sinks slightly in the middle, that's normal because it's so moist and rich!
- Let cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and milk with a fork until smooth and thick but pourable. Drizzle all over the cake. Let set before serving.
- Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
- When baking in a glass pan, reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
- Remove as much moisture as possible from shredded zucchini to avoid gummy texture in the cake.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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