chocolate zucchini cake

Are you getting copious amounts of zucchini from your garden this year? If you answered yes, you might be looking for some recipe ideas…

Last year, I thought about making a chocolate zucchini cake pretty much because I thought it’d be an interesting spin on the traditional zucchini bread (which pretty much tastes like cake to me). Does anyone know why it’s referred to as “bread”?? I’ve always wondered that – it’s a lot of banana “bread”, which also tastes like cake. Maybe they get their names because of the loaf formation in which they typically appear?

This cake is definitely NOT disguised as bread of any type. In fact, it’s more like an extremely moist “cake-like” brownie.

I took the original recipe and upped the zucchini, swapped white whole wheat flour and oatmeal flour for the all purpose flour and also used all vegetable oil instead of half butter and half oil – it turned out great. I also reduced the sugar by ⅓ but would advise those who like their sweets to use the intended amount, which is shown in the recipe below.

My girls and their friend could not wait to taste this cake since the chocolate smell wafted deliciously throughout the kitchen while baking. Little did they know, they had a little vegetable with that cake and some whole grains too.

Now that put a smile on my face.

Adapted from King Arthur Baking

chocolate zucchini cake

Add vegetables and whole grains to your cake for a guilt free dessert!

5 from 1 vote

Author: Marie

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 176 kcal

Ingredients

  

0.51x1.5x2x3x

For the cake:

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ¼ cups sugar (add ½ cup more for sweeter cake)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (yes, tablespoon)
• 2 large eggs , room temperature
• ½ cup sour cream or buttermilk
• ¾ cup dutch processed cocoa or natural cocoa
• zucchini , shredded (4 cups)
• 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour (6 ounces)*
• 1 cup oatmeal flour (3.25 ounces)*
• ½ cup chocolate chips , semi-sweet

For icing:

• 1 to 2 cups chocolate chips , semi sweet

For topping:

• Chopped nuts , whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or ice cream (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
• Grease and flour a 9 by 13 baking pan and set aside
• Combine the oat and whole wheat flours and set aside
• In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the salt, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, sugar, and oil and mix until well combined.
• Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes
• Add the sour cream and flours (oatmeal and whole wheat) alternately beating only until incorporated.
• Fold in the zucchini followed by the ½ cup of chocolate chips
• Spoon mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes just until set.
• Slide the cake out of the oven and then top with 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips
• Slide cake back into oven and then bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until cake tester comes out clean
• Note: chocolate chips will soften but not completely melt. You must gently spread the chips out with a spatula after the cake is finished.
• Cool and top with nuts, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or ice cream (optional)

Notes

* or use 2.5 cups all purpose flour

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 106mgPotassium: 131mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 91IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg

Keyword chocolate zucchini cake

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