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My chocolate zucchini cake is super moist, fudgy, and has a tender crumb. Packed with rich chocolate flavor, it uses wholesome and simple ingredients and bakes in under 40 minutes.
It’s no secret I love to add zucchini to my desserts, but none are as impressive as my chocolate zucchini cake recipe. It looks like any good cake out there, but it packs in some sneaky ingredients that make it almost healthy enough for breakfast!
The cake is moist and rich and layered with a creamy chocolate frosting. It’s one of the easiest cakes to make and needs very little prep. Don’t fret, though- you won’t taste any zucchini whatsoever!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Hidden nutrients! Adding zucchini to a chocolate cake is a sneaky way to hide some greens, adding extra moisture to the cake (and fiber, too!).
- No zucchini taste. Seriously, and you won’t be able to see it, either!
- Perfect texture. The texture is super moist, with a tender crumb.
- No eggs, butter, or oil. This uses pantry staples, so you have no excuses not to make it.
Want more zucchini dessert recipes? Try my healthy zucchini muffins, healthy zucchini bread, and zucchini brownies next.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Wonderful cake, I have made it for many parties, and everyone wants the recipe. They loved it. It’s easy to make, and I can switch up the frosting too.” – Ali
Key Ingredients
- Milk and vinegar. Mixed and set for 5 minutes to create a mock buttermilk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk works.
- Oat flour. A wheat-free alternative to traditional white or wheat flour. Skip the store-bought and packaged options and make my homemade oat flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch processed cocoa powder. For a richer flavor, you can use dark cocoa powder.
- Arrowroot powder. Holds the cake together and helps achieve a moist crumb.
- Baking powder and soda. Both leavening agents are used to give the cake structure and stability.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Helps keep the cake moist while adding minimal calories and fat.
- Coconut sugar or light brown sugar works. Avoid using white sugar or unrefined sugar, as these can affect the moistness of the cake.
- Shredded zucchini. With most of the moisture removed. You don’t need to peel it beforehand.
- Salt. A pinch of salt to balance out the sweet ingredients.
- Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake recipe.
- Chocolate frosting. Not optional! I used my famous 2-ingredient dairy free frosting but any frosting works. I’ve had success with my healthy frosting, too.
How to make chocolate zucchini cake
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Mix. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl until combined.
Step 2- Make batter. Whisk the buttermilk, applesauce, and sugar. Add the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the zucchini.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the batter into the two cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
Step 4- Frost. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting, slicing, and serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not overbake the cake, as it will continue to bake as it cools. Unlike a traditional chocolate cake, you must be careful, as oat flour can dry out goods easily.
- Squeeze out some of the moisture from the zucchini, but not all of it. Some of the moisture helps keep the cake moist and soft. I like to let them sit on a paper towel.
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar is necessary to balance out the other ingredients. If you want to use a sugar-free substitute, you’ll need to add fat to it.
- Intensify the chocolate flavor by adding some chocolate chips throughout.
Storage instructions
- To store: Store at room temperature, covered, for up to three days. If you’d like the cake to keep longer, Place slices of the cake in a sealable container and store it in the fridge.
- To freeze: Place the baked, cooled, and frosted cake in an airtight container and store it in the freezer.
More chocolate cakes to try
- Keto chocolate cake
- Almond flour chocolate cake
- Flourless chocolate cake
- Death by chocolate cake
- Healthy chocolate cake
If you tried this Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk any milk works
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 3 cups oat flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup zucchini shredded
- 1 cup chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
- Add the milk and vinegar in a bowl and whisk together. Let it sit to curdle.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the oat flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, baking powder, and baking soda and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk mix, brown sugar, and applesauce. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until combined. Fold through the zucchini.
- Distribute the batter amongst the two cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer come out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely. Once cool, frost them, layer them then slice and serve.
Notes
- For a richer cake, swap out half the applesauce with olive oil, butter, or vegetable oil.
- Swap out the oat flour for either all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour.
- For a low carb cake, replace the oat flour with blanched almond flour, use allulose as the sweetener, and swap out the applesauce for full-fat yogurt.
- Swap out the applesauce for either plain yogurt or sour cream.
- Gluten Free– Use gluten-free oat flour.
- Make a bundt cake by baking the batter in a bundt pan.
So sick of all the pre-made excuses for keto desserts and mixes on Amazon and tried this. I am honestly blown away. And the icing is so chocolatey, rich, and thick. Made as a birthday cake and no one knew it was “healthy.” Thank you!
😀 LOVE IT! So glad you enjoyed it!
The zucchini is raw and the potato boiled right? 🙂
Hi! That is correct 🙂
Thinking about baking the Keto version. Can this be doubled and baked in a 13 by 9 Pan?
I don’t see why not 🙂
The paleo version is only showing 1/4c coconut flour in my browser? That doesn’t seem right? Is it 2 1/4c?
That is correct, coconut flour is like a sponge 🙂
Made the cake tonight. It is rather thin? I think the cake is only about 1/2 in in thickness. Is that normal or did I do something wrong? Perhaps I didn’t blend the I grediebts long enough?
Hi there! Sometimes the loaf pan can make a difference! 🙂
@armanthebigmansworld where have you been all my life ?
😀
Can another type of oil be used, such as canola?
I haven’t tried- Feel free to experiment and see!
Hi Arman,
I love your recipes! Do you prefer to cook this cake in a parchment lined baking pan, or a greased pan. The recipe mentions both.
Hi! I prefer it in a parchment lined pan for easy removal 🙂
How many servings?
16 servings!
Thank you!
Just made the keto version– it’s perfect! What a nice, light, bouncy texture too! Thank you!
🙂 love it!!!
Perhaps I just missed it, but how large a piece is considered one serving? This sounds perfect.
Hi! Once you make the cake, divide it by the servings.
Just tested this recipe (using the keto version) this past weekend. I doubled it for my rectangular cake pan (pyrex). Followed instructions precisely and it turned out perfect. One of the best sweets I’ve tried on keto; there aren’t many that I enjoy because of that slightly minty flavor from the erythritol. The cake flavor even improved slightly on the second day, and that “minty” taste was not as evident as in other keto sweets. I used a basic butter cream frosting with Hershey’s dark and Lakanto powdered sweetner. Really a nice cake. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, Deb x 🙂
Hands down the best chocolate cake I have made. I made the keto version. Love your work.
That is so sweet of you, thank you!
Hi, I want to try use Steva liquid for the Vegan recipe. Was thinking of using 1 teaspoon of stevia and adding another 1/4 cup of zucchini for the substance that will be missing. Any thoughts on this?
Haven’t tried that so you’ll need to experiment and see 🙂
My cake is barely an inch tall!! How did that happen? I’m certain all my measurements were accurate. . Also my coconut oil did not incorporate into the cake. on the bottom of the cake is a soggy layer of coconut oil. This has happened to me in anothrr recipe as well, any idea what is happening?
Hi that can happen with using different brands of coconut oil, it can separate. Perhaps try a different brand? I love Nutiva.
You can also use a smaller pan or loaf pan.