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This Zucchini Chocolate Cake is the perfect way to use up an abundance of zucchini in a dessert. The moisture in the zucchini lends itself to making the most perfect, moist chocolate cake. Serve this with pasta alla nerano and an aperol spritz for the best summer dinner.
For a few years, I went on a mini cake kick. I made my famous Mini Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, Mini Strawberry Cake and Lemon Cake. I truly was over the idea of a layer cake.
BUT, I still think they deserve some love. I love this zucchini chocolate cake so much. Let’s start with the basics:
Why Put Zucchini in Chocolate Cake?
- Moisture! The zucchini not only helps with adding moisture to your cakes but it also helps keep the cake moist for a couple days.
- Eat your vegetables. There’s not enough zucchini in here to combat not eating a salad, however there’s enough to add a little extra nutrients and vitamins.
Ingredients You’ll Nee for this Zucchini Chocolate Cake
- Zucchini.
- Cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk.
- Walnuts.
- Butter.
For the rest of the ingredients, please see the recipe index card below!
How to Make Zucchini Chocolate Cake:
- Prep your cake pans. Grease them and line with a circle of parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make sure you sift your cocoa powder first to make sure you don’t have any lumps of it.
- Cream the butter and sugar with the wet ingredients. Beat the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy then add the oil, eggs, and buttermilk.
- Add the dry to the wet. Mix just until combined then add the walnuts and grated zucchini.
- Add to the prepared pans and bake! Just until the cakes are baked through to make sure they stay moist.
- Invert onto cooling racks. After about 5 minutes, flip the cakes out to cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Frost and Serve. However you like, with whatever frosting you’d like!
Decorating Tips and Tricks:
- I followed this YouTube video.
- I used this #104 piping tip to get the petal flowers. And of course this nail. I swear by this kit.
- And I used these gel colors to get the yellow and green.
- The good news is that if you want to make this cake, you donโt need to pipe on flowers for this Zucchini Chocolate Cake. You can simply make the cake, smear on the frosting and youโre good to go!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, feel free to make them the day before you plan on serving them. Allow them to cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap and then transfer to the fridge. You can make the frosting the day ahead too; store in the fride.
More Summer Recipes
Desserts
Peach Shortcakes
Desserts
Lemon Coconut Cake
Desserts
Sour Cherry Hand Pies
Desserts
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
If you tried thisย Zucchini Chocolate Cakeย Recipeย or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟ย star ratingย and let me know how it went in the 📝ย commentsย below. Thanks for visiting!
Zucchini Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Zucchini Cake:
Dry:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini, from about 3 small zucchini
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
Instructions
To Make the Zucchini Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF. Grease two (8-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (you could also do this in a large bowl with a whisk), with the paddle attachment, add the butter and white and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable oil, eggs, one at a time and then the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just smooth, about 1 minute. Pour in the grated zucchini and walnuts and mix once more.
- Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes and then invert them on cooling racks.
- I sliced my cakes in half so I would have four layers, but you certainly donโt have to do this!
To Make the Frosting:
- *If youโre making petal flowers and vines, youโll want to double the recipe above. Itโll give you enough frosting in order to have extra to decorate. After you make a double batch, youโll want to remove about 1/4 of it and color it yellow. Remove another 1/4 and color it green.
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or medium bowl with an electric hand mixer) and beat until smooth about 30 seconds or so. Take the paddle attachment off and place a sieve on top of the bowl and sift in the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer to low until the powdered sugar is almost incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and buttermilk; and beat once more until combined.
To assemble the cake:
- Place one layer on a cake board or cake stand or plate (I also love turning plates upside down and using them as cake stands). Add about 1/4 cup (you can eyeball this measurement) to the top of the first cake layer; smooth it out so itโs a nice even layer of frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat the process. Skim the top and sides and transfer it to the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and give it one last layer of frosting. If you like, this is totally optional, divide the frosting amongst a few piping bags with different tips on them and decorate the top! Slice up and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
*This post was originally published on August 18th, 2018. It has since been updated with new copy.
Hi! I didn’t know how else to reach out but you used to have a recipe for chocolate cake donuts that was my most favorite recipe and it’s gone. You wouldn’t be able to repost it or share it with me? Thank you so much.
awww i remember those. i’m so sorry. i thought no one used it! let me see if i can re-publish them. sorry about that.
I was looking for a moist chocolate cake recipe for my brother’s birthday and this turned out perfectly! It was very moist and everyone in my family loved the added heartiness of the zucchini. Buttercream recipe was also amazing. Most of my family doesn’t like buttercream but they ended up eating all of the buttercream on this cake ๐
I will definetely be making this recipe again!
love to hear this news! x
I love chocolate flavored anything and this cake looks divine! I did want to ask what type of cocoa powder do you use in your recipes: Dutch or Natural?
Iโm trying to stay away from gluten and wonder if other flours could be substituted. I recognize it is just a 1/2 cup but if others would work it would be that much better. Oops just noticed that itโs actually 2 cups. Either way would subbing other flours work.
Those flowers are amazing!
Looks delicious! Can I sub almond milk for buttermilk? Would baking it in a 9×13 work, and how? Thanks ๐
hi! unfortunately almond milk won’t as a substitute. but baking in a 9×13 would work!
I subbed a cup of almond milk with 2 tbs of lemon juice for the buttermilk. Actually I veganized the whole recipe, and while it isnโt the exact same cake obviously , it was delicious and tender, with a wonderful combination of spices. Thanks, Adrianna!
Wow can’t get past that post about Azalea Banks and Elon Musk. How on earth was that magical? It sounded like a petulant child trying to put someone on blast using the crudest of terms. Just demanding for attention. How do we go from a very lovely looking cake to something so ridiculous. I feel stupider and filthier for having bothered to read it. Really wish I hadn’t.
i don’t think it’s that serious. i think you’re taking it really personally lol.
I can’t take it, looks delicious and so beautiful!