Moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

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This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is a deep, dark chocolate cake that is topped with light and fluffy chocolate whipped cream! With 3 cups of zucchini, it is incredibly moist and you won’t even notice all the vegetables!

If you’ve got an abundance of zucchini and you’re looking for more ways to use it, try these Zucchini Chips, these Cheesy Zucchini Fritters, or this Cinnamon Zucchini Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

If you are a gardener and you’ve planted zucchini this year, you may be searching for about 500 different ways to use it! Zucchini plants are the gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving. It always makes everything so moist and delicious!

This chocolate zucchini cake is one of my favorite ways to use zucchini because it uses a good amount (a whopping 3 cups), and it is so rich, so moist, and has this incredibly deep dark chocolate flavor. I love to top it off with a light and fluffy chocolate whipped cream — it’s sweet and chocolatey but light enough that it really lets the cake shine. If you want something a little sweeter, the chocolate cream cheese frosting from these chocolate zucchini cupcakes would be a wonderful addition!

Ingredients in Chocolate Zucchini Cake

These ingredients make a moist, chocolately cake that will leave your mouth watering! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Cake

• Sugar: Add some sweet flavor to the base of the cake.
• Buttermilk: You can use store bought buttermilk or you can make it easily at home using this recipe.
• Eggs: I always use large eggs when I am cooking and baking.
• Vanilla: Add a splash of vanilla flavor to the cake!
• Flour: Level out the flour when you measure it out so you get just the right amount. I used all-purpose flour in this recipe.
• Cocoa Powder: This is the ingredient that will give you that delicious chocolatey flavor.
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These will help your cake to rise and become soft and fluffy.
• Salt: The salt enhances the flavors of all of the other ingredients.
• Zucchini: This adds all of the moisture into this chocolate zucchini cake! You will need at least 1 large zucchini or 2 small zucchini to make enough for this cake.

Creamy Chocolate Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream: This makes the topping so light and creamy!
• Powdered Sugar: This adds a sweet flavor to the heavy cream and keeps the topping nice and smooth.  
• Cocoa Powder: Make this a chocolate flavor with the cocoa powder!
• Vanilla: The vanilla enhances all of the sweet flavors.

How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This cake is simple and delicious. It packs a punch with flavor and the texture is so soft and moist, that it’s to die for! Your family will go crazy over it!

Cake

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×13″ pan (line with parchment paper if desired).
2. Whisk: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Combine: Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and stir until combined.
4. Stir: Stir in zucchini, just until combined.
5. Bake: Spread into prepared pan and bake for 30-34 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Set the chocolate zucchini cake aside to cool to room temperature.

Creamy Chocolate Topping

1. Combine: In a medium bowl, combine cream, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla.
2. Beat: Beat with an electric mixer on low until incorporated, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.
3. Spread: Spread over cooled chocolate zucchini cake and serve.