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    Home cakes

    Published: Jun 23, 2018 • Modified: Feb 24, 2023 • This site generates income via ads and may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy linked in the footer.

    Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Images of chocolate zucchini cake from Beyond the Butter®.
    Images of chocolate zucchini cake from Beyond the Butter®.
    Images of chocolate zucchini cake from Beyond the Butter®.

    This Chocolate Zucchini Cake with chocolate chips recipe is moist, rich, and slightly fudgy, with little semi-sweet chocolate chips baked in for an added treat! Top it off with this devilishly good, silky chocolate frosting; your guests will ask for seconds!

    Overhead image of chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chip with a slice removed | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
    Image of chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips on a white cake stand | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
    Jump to:
    • This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is
    • What's In This Chocolate Zucchini Cake?
    • Can You Taste the Zucchini in this Chocolate Cake?
    • How Do You Make Sour Milk?
    • How Much Chocolate Frosting Does This Make?
    • What Did You Use to Create the Gold Swirl?
    • Additional Baking Tips
    • You May Also Like These Other Chocolate Desserts!
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Reviews

    This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is

    • super chocolatey
    • ridiculously moist and fudgy
    • perfectly paired with this decadent chocolate frosting
    • made of 3, 6 inch layer cakes
    • tall measuring at almost 8 inches high (with a thick layer of frosting)
    • a chocolate lovers dream come true

    Seriously folks, this is one of the best chocolate cakes. Is it healthy? Hell no. But holy smokes is it ever good.

    Overhead image of chocolate zucchini cake slices on parchment paper with a small bowl of frosting | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    What's In This Chocolate Zucchini Cake?

    • All-Purpose Flour
    • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    • Baking Soda
    • Unsalted Butter
    • Vegetable Shortening
    • Vegetable Oil
    • Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Egg
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Sour Milk
    • Shredded Zucchini
    • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

    Can You Taste the Zucchini in this Chocolate Cake?

    Nope. Not at all!

    I'm serious!

    The reason zucchini is used in, not just this recipe, but also my One Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe, is to give it that extra level of moistness!

    And while you may be tempted to drain the liquid from the shredded zucchini—do not do it! It's important to leave that with the zucchini!

    Angled closeup image of chocolate zucchini cake with gold decorative swirl on top and slice removed | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
    Overhead image of chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips with a gold swirled chocolate frosted top on white background | All images © Beyond the Butter™

    How Do You Make Sour Milk?

    To make sour milk, you add 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice to ½ cup of milk. Mix it up and let it sit for a minute before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

    How Much Chocolate Frosting Does This Make?

    This chocolate frosting recipe makes a good amount to cover a 3 layer, 6 inch cake and then some.

    If you or the person you're making this for loves chocolate frosting, you will have plenty of frosting for thick layers in between the cakes plus enough to cover the outside.

    If you are not a big frosting fan, you could probably get away with halving the recipe for a nice thin layered cake plus some for the outside.

    Or you can always make the full amount and save the leftovers for cupcakes or another dessert!

    Closeup image of chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips on a white cake stand | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
    Overhead closeup image of chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and gold decorative swirl on top | All Images © Beyond the Butter™

    What Did You Use to Create the Gold Swirl?

    To create the swirl, I used an offset spatula, a clean craft brush, vodka, and edible gold powder.

    You dip the brush in the vodka then into the gold powder, then apply. Repeat until you've made it around the entire swirl.

    Additional Baking Tips

    Here are a few extra tips when making your chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips!

    • I added my Wilton Cake Strips to each pan to help keep the tops level. If you don't have them, I recommend getting a couple!
    • I used 3, 6 inch x 2 inch cake pans to bake this cake. You can also use 3, 6 inch x 3 inch cake pans.
    • To retain some of the moisture from the cake, you can cool them upside down on a cooling rack still in their cake pans.
    • If you are not going to be frosting the cake after cooling it, you can store them in the cake pans tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can also double wrap them tightly and keep them in the refrigerator. You can also store them in the freezer for up to a month double wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept in a freezer storage bag.
    • Leftover cake slices can be double wrapped in plastic wrapped and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature before enjoying.

    You May Also Like These Other Chocolate Desserts!

    • Overhead image of small batch chocolate cupcakes in vintage metal baking tin.
      Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
      Cook Time1 Hours 20 Minutes
    • Slices of chocolate cake with oreo buttercream frosting on natural parchment paper.
      Chocolate Cake with Oreo Buttercream Frosting
      Cook Time1 Hours 10 Minutes
    • Close up image of devil's food cupcakes topped with peanut butter frosting on a baking sheet.
      Devil's Food Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
      Cook Time50 Minutes
    • Sliced chocolate zucchini bread on white background.
      One Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread
      Cook Time1 Hours 25 Minutes

    Need more dessert recipe inspiration? Visit my recipe box or follow me over on Pinterest!

    📖 Recipe

    Overhead image of chocolate zucchini cake slices on parchment paper with a small bowl of frosting.

    Chocolate Zucchini Cake

    Author: Jennifer
    This Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Chips recipe is moist, rich, and slightly fudgy with little semi-sweet chocolate chips baked in for an added treat! Top it off with some of this devilishly good chocolate frosting and your guests will be asking for seconds!
    (prevent your screen from going dark while making this recipe)
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 1194 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    chocolate zucchini cake

    • 2 ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
    • ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    • 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¼ cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
    • ¼ cup Vegetable Shortening
    • ½ cup Vegetable Oil
    • 1 ½ cup Granulated Sugar
    • 1 Large Egg (room temperature)
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • ½ cup Sour Milk
    • 2 cup Shredded Zucchini (do NOT drain the liquid from the shredded zucchini)
    • 6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

    chocolate frosting

    • 1 ¼ lbs Unsalted Butter (or 5 sticks of butter, room temperature)
    • 2 cup Powdered Sugar (sifted)
    • 1 ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • 1 lb Dark Chocolate (melted and cooled)

    Instructions

    chocolate zucchini cake

    • Set your oven rack to the 2nd level position and preheat your oven to 325ºF.
    • Spray your 3, 6 inch cake pans with a flour-based baking spray. Place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan, then lightly respray. Alternatively, you can grease the pans with butter and coat in flour, but it's important to still add in the parchment paper circles (it helps to release the cake from the pan).
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set to the side.
      2 ½ cup All-Purpose Flour, ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
    • Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until well blended.
      ¼ cup Unsalted Butter, ¼ cup Vegetable Shortening, ½ cup Vegetable Oil, 1 ½ cup Granulated Sugar
    • Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and sour milk.
      1 Large Egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ½ cup Sour Milk
    • Switching your mixer speed to low, gradually add in the whisked dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add in the shredded zucchini.
      2 cup Shredded Zucchini
    • Fold in the chocolate chips.
      6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
    • Evenly distribute the cake batter into each 6 inch prepared cake pan, then place in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes at 325ºF or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center of each cake.
    • Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully invert to cool completely on wire cooling racks.

    chocolate frosting

    • Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt on medium speed until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
      Alternatively, you can use a food processor - America's Test Kitchen recommendation to make this frosting.
      1 ¼ lbs Unsalted Butter, 2 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
    • Add in the light corn syrup, vanilla extract, and the melted and cooled chocolate, and mix until the frosting is well blended and smooth in texture.
      1 cup Light Corn Syrup, 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 lb Dark Chocolate
    • Frost your cake once it's completely cooled.

    Recipe Notes

    • 1 ½ pounds of butter = 5 sticks or 574 grams.
    • To make sour milk, add 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice to ½ cup of milk. Mix it up and let it sit for a minute before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
    • The cake recipe is adapted from the 2001 "A Taste of Bedminster Elementary" Cookbook.
    • The frosting recipe is adapted from "The Perfect Cake" book by America's Test Kitchen.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1194kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 80g | Saturated Fat: 43g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 658mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 82g | Vitamin A: 1398IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 9mg

    Nutritonal information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used.

    Tried this recipe and loved it?Snap a pic and share it with me over on Instagram tagging @beyond.the.butter and #beyondthebutter in your caption or stories!
    Angled closeup image of chocolate zucchini cake with gold decorative swirl on top | All Images © Beyond the Butter™
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    © All images & content on BeyondtheButter.com are copyright protected. You may not republish, redistribute, or otherwise use any images, recipes, or content, in part or in whole, without express written permission from the author. Beyond the Butter® is a registered trademark of Jennifer Switzer. All rights reserved. For more information, please read my Policies page.

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    1. Beverly Kaye says

      July 03, 2019 at 6:13 pm

      But you left out the gold on the frosting! Why are you holding out on us?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        July 03, 2019 at 9:29 pm

        Gah, Beverly, I’m so sorry! I thought I mentioned it in the blog post. It’s gold dust from Truly Mad Plastics. It’s a very small jar, but a little goes a loooong way! You can apply it using a small craft brush and either clear vanilla extract or vodka.

        Reply
    2. Gayle says

      August 31, 2020 at 11:21 am

      Beautiful looking cake! I have two 8 inch cake pans. Would that work instead? I am reluctant to buy new pans.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        August 31, 2020 at 2:57 pm

        Thank you! I haven't made it this way, but I don't think it will work for the amount of cake batter this recipe makes. You could, however, add it to the 2, 8 inch pans, then use the remaining batter to make cupcakes!

        Reply
    3. Sf says

      September 03, 2020 at 1:58 pm

      What can I use in place of vegetable shortening?

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        September 04, 2020 at 7:44 am

        You can use unsalted butter, same amount.

        Reply

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