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!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love the Recipe
- super chocolatey
- ridiculously moist and fudgy
- perfectly paired with this decadent chocolate frosting
- made of three, 6-inch layer cakes
- tall, measuring almost 8 inches high (with a thick layer of frosting)
- a chocolate lover 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.
Ingredients Needed
The following ingredients shown below are used to make this easy chocolate zucchini cake recipe.
- 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
Helpful 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 three 6-inch x 2-inch cake pans to bake this cake. You can also use three 6-inch x 3-inch cake pans.
- To retain some moisture from the cakes, you can cool them upside down on a cooling rack while they are still in their cake pans.
- If you are not going to be frosting the cake after cooling it, you can store it in the cake pans tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can double-wrap it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator. You can also store it 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 wrap 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.
Recipe FAQs
To create the swirl, I used an offset spatula, a clean craft brush, vodka, and edible gold powder. You dip the brush into the vodka then into the gold powder, then apply. Repeat until you’ve made it around the entire swirl.
To make sour milk, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice to 1/2 cup of milk. Mix it together and let it sit for 1-2 minutes before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
This chocolate frosting recipe makes enough 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!
No. The zucchini is only used to give it that extra moist texture.
While you may be tempted to drain the liquid from the shredded zucchini — don’t do it. It’s what gives the cake that wonderful moist texture.
You May Also Like These Other Chocolate Desserts!
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Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
chocolate zucchini cake
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 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 1/4 lbs Unsalted Butter, or 5 sticks of butter, room temperature
- 2 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp 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 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 1/4 cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 2 tsp 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.1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening, 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil, 1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and sour milk.1 Large Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/2 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 1/4 lbs Unsalted Butter, 2 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1/8 tsp 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 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1 lb Dark Chocolate
- Frost your cake once it’s completely cooled.
Notes
- 1 1/2 pounds of butter = 5 sticks or 574 grams.
- To make sour milk, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice to 1/2 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
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
What can I use in place of vegetable shortening?
You can use unsalted butter, same amount.
Beautiful looking cake! I have two 8 inch cake pans. Would that work instead? I am reluctant to buy new pans.
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!
But you left out the gold on the frosting! Why are you holding out on us?
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.