Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is extra moist, beginner-friendly, and topped with a silky ganache frosting. The zucchini adds tenderness, not flavor—making this a rich and satisfying dessert perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder see note
- 2 ½ cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips
For the Ganache:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, cream butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add eggs, then alternate adding sour cream and flour. Mix in cocoa powder until smooth.
- Fold in shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 30–35 minutes until top springs back. Cool completely.
- For ganache: Heat cream in saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips.
- Stir until smooth and glossy. Let cool slightly.
- Pour ganache over cake and spread evenly. Let set 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
If using regular cocoa powder instead of Dutch-process, add an extra ½ tsp of baking soda. For a fun twist, fold in chopped nuts with the chocolate chips to add crunch. This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is freezer-friendly too!
Nutrition Per serving (1 slice):
- 390 calories
- 22g fat
- 47g carbs
- 3g fiber
- 4g protein