Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Dark Chocolate is the kind of bake that proves vegetables and desserts do belong together. This cake is rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, with a crumb so soft it melts in your mouth. You don't need a mixer-just a bowl and a spatula will do. It always bakes evenly, slices cleanly, and tastes like pure chocolate bliss.
The zucchini is the hidden trick that makes the texture moist without anyone guessing it's inside. Add good chunks of dark chocolate, and you'll have a cake that feels indulgent and still surprisingly simple to make.
Moist Zucchini Cake Rich With Cocoa Flavor
I've baked this Chocolate Zucchini Cake many times, and it never disappoints. It started as a way to use up too many zucchinis from the garden, but it quickly became a family favorite. The kids love the chocolate chunks, and I love that the cake stays moist for days. I often serve it as a weekend treat, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Every so often, I bake it in cupcake form for easy portions-perfect for school or work snacks. It's a cake that looks unassuming but always surprises people with how good it tastes. And yes, this recipe has been made so much and works all the time, so you can trust it to work every single time.
What do you need for a Chocolate Zucchini Pound Cake?
To prepare this chocolate zucchini cake, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog. Make sure to use all ingredients at room temperature for the best results!
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this pound cake.
- Sugar: The sweetener in this cake.
- Cocoa: Regular cocoa powder works just fine here (unsweetened).
- Baking soda and baking powder: Ensures that the chocolate zucchini cake rises and becomes airy.
- Salt: Salt balances the flavor.
- Cinnamon: This spice has a sweet, woody flavor with a hint of lemon. It's a great food combined with chocolate. It's possible to substitute cinnamon with espresso powder.
- Eggs: Provide binding and a full taste. Use egg-sized L.
- Sunflower oil: Instead of butter, sunflower oil is used. When using oil in a cake, it becomes moist (and not dry).
- Zucchini: This green vegetable doesn't add much flavor to the cake but will add moisture and a bit of texture. That's why this cake is such a great addition.
- Chocolate: Chocolate is undoubtedly essential in this dish, so it's advisable to choose good chocolate. Buy chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content and not cheap chocolate because it contains too much oil.
How to Prepare Dark Chocolate Cake with Zucchini?
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Grate the zucchini in a large bowl.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a big bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the eggs and oil and fold them into the batter.
- Add the grated zucchini and chocolate chunks and mix them with a spoon into the batter.
- Pour everything into a cake tin and bake for 60 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C). Then, let it cool to room temperature.
Serve: This cake is great; served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream.
Variations - Add some chopped walnuts (about ¼ cup) or other nuts for a bit of a bite.
Did you make this delicious recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram! I love to see what your creation looks like and regularly share the most beautiful photos of you! Did you like this recipe? Then leave a rating on the recipe card! Your feedback helps other home cooks and me enormously.
Need more inspiration?
- You can find video recipes on my YouTube channel.
- And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest, so you can easily find them again next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2¾ tablespoons Dutch unprocessed cocoa, unsweetend
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs, size L
- 1 cup sunflower oil
- 1 zucchini, grated (about 3 cups, 400-450 grams)
- 5⅔ oz. dark chocolate chips
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F or 320 °F. Grease a loaf tin (10 inches - 25 cm) with oil. - In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 2¾ tablespoons Dutch unprocessed cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add eggs and oil, and stir with a spatula until combined.4 eggs, 1 cup sunflower oil
- Fold in zucchini and dark chocolate chunks.5⅔ oz. dark chocolate chips, 1 zucchini
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool to room temperature before slicing.
Notes
- Replace dark chocolate with milk chocolate for a sweeter flavor.
- Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Swap cinnamon for a teaspoon of espresso powder for a mocha twist.
- Room temperature: Wrap tightly; keeps for 2 days.
- Freezer: Wrap twice in plastic, store up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before serving.
- Cupcakes: Freeze well, perfect for lunchbox treats.
Nutrition
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