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 if off with this devilishly good, silky chocolate frosting and your guests will be asking for seconds!
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.
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 the 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 zucchiniβdo not do it! It's important to leave that with the zucchini!
how do you make sour milk?
To make sour milk, you 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.
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!
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
- 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" x 2" cake pans to bake this cake.
- To retain some of the moisture from the cake, 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.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Chips
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
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!
Ingredients
chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips
- 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 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Sour Milk (see Notes below if you don't have any sour milk)
- 2 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 4 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 cups Shredded Zucchini (do NOT drain the liquid from the shredded zucchini)
- 6 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
chocolate frosting
- 1 1/4 pounds (5 sticks) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1 pound of Dark Chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips
- Set your oven rack to the 2nd level position and preheat your oven to 325ΒΊF.
- Spray your 3, 6 inch cake pans with a flour-based baking spray. Place a circle of parchment paper in each pan, and respray the bottom with the flour-based spray. 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.
- Using your hand-held 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.
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and 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.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Evenly distribute the cake batter into each prepared cake pan, then place in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes at 325ΒΊF 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-held 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.
- 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.
- Frost your cake once it's completely cooled.
Notes
To make sour milk, you 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.
Cake recipe is adapted from the 2001, "A Taste of Bedminster Elementary" Cookbook.
Frosting recipe is adapted from "The Perfect Cake" book by America's Test Kitchen.
Keywords: chocolate zucchini cake, cake, chocolate cake, zucchini cake, chocolate zucchini cake, how to make chocolate zucchini cake, chocolate chips, chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips
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Beverly Kaye says
But you left out the gold on the frosting! Why are you holding out on us?
Jennifer says
Gah, Beverly, Iβm so sorry! I thought I mentioned it in the blog post. Itβs gold dust from Truly Mad Plastics. Itβs 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.
Gayle says
Beautiful looking cake! I have two 8 inch cake pans. Would that work instead? I am reluctant to buy new pans.
Jennifer says
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!
Sf says
What can I use in place of vegetable shortening?
Jennifer says
You can use unsalted butter, same amount.