Table of Contents
  1. Watch how to make this chocolate zucchini cake:
  2. Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
  3. Chocolate & Zucchini Cake Recipe

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I love it when my nieces visit The Farm. Their humor and personalities give me so much joy! Every time we’re together they want to bake together and I have no problem with that! I’ve made this previously but hadn’t brought it to you in a video. So I’ve updated the recipe just slightly, but this is still the cake I grew up with. When you have an abundance of zucchini – and if you grow it, you most certainly do – this is a perfect way to use it!

Top down view of three brown colored zucchini cakes sitting on white plates with chocolate sauce drizzled all over the top all on white marble surface

Watch how to make this chocolate zucchini cake:

YouTube video

Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?

I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!

Small Bundt chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate ganache poured over top sitting on white plate with cutting board in background

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake

4.63 from 8 votes
Whoever discovered that zucchini was useful for baking was a genius! This chocolate zucchini cake always turns out super moist and delicious!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 18 mini Bundt cakes

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ cup neutral oil
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk or sour milk (2 tsp vinegar with ½ cup milk)
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¾ tsp ground cloves
  • 2 cups grated zucchini seeds removed
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (miniature variety preferred)

For the ganache

  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

For the cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Prepare zucchini by cutting off ends, scooping out seeds, and grating. Set aside. I like to leave the skin on but it can also be peeled.
    2 cups grated zucchini
  • Cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy, 4 minutes.
    8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, ½ cup neutral oil, 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract, and mix until incorporated.
    2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.
    2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 4 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder, ½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt, ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, ¾ tsp ground cloves
  • Alternately add the dry ingredients with the buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry.
    ½ cup buttermilk or sour milk (2 tsp vinegar with ½ cup milk)
  • Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
    ½ cup chocolate chips (miniature variety preferred)
  • Spray pans with nonstick baking spray and fill with batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes. I used miniature Bundt pans, which makes approximately 18 cakes. You can also make one large Bundt cake. Increase baking time to 45-60 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack.

For the ganache

  • Prepare ganache by heating heavy cream until steaming.
    ½ cup heavy cream
  • Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth and melted.
    4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • Drizzle ganache on slightly cooled cakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1mini Bundt cakeCalories: 329kcal
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Difficulty Intermediate
Method Baking
Close up view of brown colored chocolate zucchini cake dripping with chocolate frosting made from ganache sitting on white plate

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Kaleb

Kaleb Wyse is a New York Times bestselling author behind the popular Wyse Guide website. Living on his fourth-generation Iowa farm, he loves sharing recipes and gardening tips that come from traditions that feel comfortably familiar. His down-to-earth style makes sustainable living and farm life feel like home!

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4.63 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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13 Comments

  1. Watched you cook this cake last night you made it look so easy I want to try it this weekend. I love your show

  2. Kaleb,
    Love your recipes! Thank you.
    Most zucchini recipes call for wringing the zucchini dry before using it. Did you dry yours in this recipe?

  3. 5 stars
    Tried this today and it was a huge and amazing success! My 7 yr granddaughter who has such a negative attitude towards fruits and vegetables, that have to hide them in her food just loved this cake so much she wanted seconds. When her aunt, my daughter told her it had zucchini in it her mind was blown and still wanted more and a bigger piece.
    I have admit I did make some minor changes. I added espresso and exchanged brown sugar for granulated sugar. I also only used one egg verses two.
    This cake was moist and super fudge.
    Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    Love this recipe. Been watching your videos on Facebook. Was wondering if there’s a way to make as cupcakes? What the baking time would be if its possible? Its for a pandemic treat to give as gifts to my hard working colleagues. Thanks. – Jo

  5. This is the first time I made this. Next time, I will not add the cloves. I may not add the cinnamon, either. Other than that, pretty good!

  6. Love watching your videos ! I’ve learned a lot and found things that we do the same way . Thank you for doing this ! Always watching from WVa

  7. Have this in the oven now! I will say it has a different aroma, probably from the cloves. But I can’t wait to taste it! Bringing it out now and letting it cool. I am also making the ganache because, well, why not!

  8. I made 100 loaves of zucchini bread one summer. I’ve never had chocolate zucchini cake sounds delicious .I swear I have a hobby of collecting recipes. I enjoy watching your videos

  9. 5 stars
    Well I have this cake in the oven now. I watched you make this cake. It looks really good. I have not had a zucchini cake or loaf made with chocolate and spices. I chose to do pecans as I didn’t have chocolate chips. I’m anxious to try it. I just had a slice after cooling. So good! This will be a keeper for me. I have not put the drizzle on as I don’t have those ingredients on hand but delicious by itself. Going to share this with a neighbour.