Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is gluten-free, rich, delicious, and has an amazingly soft texture. It's so good that it doesn't even need frosting or glaze. It's perfect as is!

We've all likely had delicious zucchini breads that are cake-like. Well, this zucchini cake is a true cake, and it's loaded with chocolate.

The recipe is gluten-free, so if you're on a gluten-free diet you'll be thrilled, and if you're not, you won't even notice a difference.

Super moist, rich and utterly delicious, the chocolate zucchini cake is surprisingly easy to make, and it can be done well ahead of time.

Some Ingredient Notes

• unsalted butter - Be sure it's unsalted or it'll throw the final flavor off.
• unsweetened cocoa powder - You can use a light, dark, and/or Dutch-process cocoa powder for this recipe. (Dutch process is often a little smoother with a slightly mellow flavor.)
• gluten-free all-purpose flour - I always use Cup4Cup Gluten-Free flour as it behaves very much like a regular all-purpose flour. Do not try to substitute other gluten-free flours like almond or coconut for this. They absorb liquid differently and the cake won't rise properly. If keeping the cake gluten-free isn't important to you, feel free to use regular all-purpose flour, adding 2 extra tablespoons of it.
• baking powder and baking soda - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking powder and soda are still good. For the soda, pour a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice over about ¼ teaspoon of it -- if it starts to fizz, it’s still good. For the powder, pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over about ¼ teaspoon of it -- If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
• eggs - Eggs help the cake rise and add more moisture and structure. I always try to use those that are pasture-raised. You can learn about them in this article.
• sour cream - Sour cream contributes to the moist texture in the cake and it also adds a very subtle tangy flavor. Substitution: Plain Greek yogurt.
• grated/shredded zucchini - Choose firm zucchini with blemish-free, vibrant green skin.

What does zucchini do in a cake?

Zucchini adds moisture to baked goods, and like other vegetables, (i.e., carrots in carrot cake), the flavor of zucchini is not detectable in this gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake. The cake tastes like deep, rich, luscious chocolate!

How to Make it

- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 10-inch bundt cake pan. Then sprinkle it lightly with a tablespoon of cocoa powder.

- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together. Mix on high until it's thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Once it's blended, add the sour cream and mix until it's smooth.

- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the remaining ⅔ cup cocoa powder, gluten-free flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir just until everything is evenly incorporated, and then add it to the wet ingredients. (You can use a large spoon, or the electric mixer on a low speed.)

- Grate the zucchini and then use your hands to squeeze it, to remove any excess liquid. Grating the zucchini in a food processor is easiest, but you can also use a box grater.

Recipe Tip: It's important not to skip the step of removing excess liquid from the zucchini. By doing this, the zucchini will still add moisture, but the cake will not become soggy.

Above: The grated zucchini pile on the left is straight out of the food processor, and the pile on the right started as the same size, but has been wrung out with my hand to drain it of any excess liquid.

- Fold the zucchini and melted butter into the cake batter, and then pour everything into the prepared bundt pan.

- Place it in the preheated 350°F oven and bake until the cake no longer jiggles when the pan is moved, feels solid when gently touched on top, and it's starting to crack on top, 35 to 45 minutes. (Baking times can vary depending on the thickness of your bundt pan, how your oven is calibrated, if you open the oven door, etc.)

Recipe Tip: I don't often find the toothpick method for checking doneness as reliable how the cake feels and looks. (The toothpick method is when you stick a toothpick in the thickest part of the cake to see if it comes out clean, indicating the cake is done.)

- Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert it on a wire rack. Let it cool for about an hour before transferring it to a serving platter and slicing.

Variations

• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake. Add chocolate chips. I've made it with and without, and both ways are excellent. Use about 1 cup of semisweet chips.
• Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes. This recipe will also make about 2 dozen standard-sized cupcakes. (Use paper liners in the pans, rather than butter and cocoa powder, as you would for the Bundt cake.)
• Though this cake doesn't need frosting or glaze, if you want to make it even richer, you can drizzle it with a velvety chocolate ganache.
• You can also whip some heavy cream to serve with the cake. Who doesn't love a dollop of whipped cream with their chocolate!? (I suggest not adding sugar to it.)

Can you make it ahead?

Ideally, this cake should be made the day before, or about six hours before you want to serve it. It will, however, still be very good a few days later.

Storing the Cake

It's unlikely, but if you have leftover cake . . .

Room temperature. In a tightly sealed container, or wrapped tightly well with plastic wrap, the cake can be kept at room temperature for two days.
Refrigerator. In a tightly sealed container, or wrapped tightly well with plastic wrap, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freezer. Sealed tightly, you can store the cake for about a month in the freezer.

Other Must-Try Gluten-Free Cake Recipes

I hope you love this chocolatey zucchini cake as much as my family and I do.