This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
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.
Yassss, yum, made for five year old bday. Tick from everyone. Tasty as!
Thanks for the feedback, Dean! Happy birthday to the little one!
Amazing recipe!
I made this for my father in laws birthday…I am on keto and he is diabetic…He absolutely loved it and said it’s hands down the best cake he’s ever eaten!!! Delicious, but not sickly!!! Thanks so much 😁🎉
You haven’t included any quantities in the ingredients list so this recipe is useless!
maybe try scrolling down and you’ll see a very evident recipe card.
This cake is AMAZING! I substituted monk fruit sweetener for honey. I also doubled the recipe b/c I used a larger pan. Unfortunately it was still a one layer cake. I recommend everyone to try this cake. I look forward to trying variations of the cake as well.
Thank you, Shani 🙂
hi i really like the recipe, i was wondering if i wanna do it in a 4 inch pan how the measurements change…
I haven’t tried, feel free to experiment and see!
1/4 c zucc is def not 1 med zucc. Please clarify
It sure does here.
Hola, a qué tipo de calabacín se refiere la receta. No puedo usar ningún tipo de levadura, pero sí el polvo de hornear, estaría bien si le pongo polvo de hornear.- Saludos
I was so impressed by the rich darkness I thought it would make an ideal old fashioned chocolate ice cream cake like the ones that used to come in a rolled up package from the freezer. My experiment so far is just using the cake unfrosted with low carb vanilla ice cream and it tasted identical. I don’t know if this cake would roll up, but I think it might.
I just made this AGAIN tonight. Soooo delicious! I am making yet another to take to my parent’s house tomorrow for Xmas since my mom is gluten free and dairy free. Only change that I made was adding vanilla extract and Hu chocolate chunks! Great recipe!
hi i dont know how to measure becuase i dont have measure cups D:
You could try converting it using google conversions 🙂
I have made this several times and even frozen it to use later. Always a hit. I don’t think I have ever put vanilla extract in as it’s mentioned in the list but not in the recipe card. How much would I add?
Thanks!
Hi! It’s 1/2 teaspoon 🙂
Hi, I grated a medium zucchini and got about 2 cups! Is 1/4 cup correct?
Oh wow- that is heaps! You can add closer to half a cup but any more, you’ll need to squeeze out as much liquid as possible
A truly delicious chocolate cake that can fool the most picky of eaters (if you grate the zucchini finely enough that they don’t spot it!)
Fantastic!
Wondering if you have tiny zucchini’s in America? I used half a medium sized one and it made 3/4 cup shredded. Or am I doing something wrong? From Oz. Hi
Thanks!!!!
Hi! I’m in Australia too but converted it to US sizes- when I was there, the zucchini was TINY haha 🙂 I used about 1 1-1/2 Australian sized ones (the smaller ones).
So easy and delicious!! Thank you!!
You are so welcome!