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What if I told you the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had starts with a garden vegetable?
This chocolate zucchini cake recipe is rich, incredibly moist, and topped with the dreamiest chocolate cream cheese frosting. Even if you think you don’t like zucchini desserts, one bite of this cake will change your mind.
Table of Contents
The zucchini melts right into the batter, making every slice soft, tender, and intensely chocolatey. Every summer, when our garden starts producing more zucchini than we know what to do with, this is the first dessert I make.
My mom passed this recipe down to me after making an even better version of the chocolate zucchini bundt cake I thought couldn’t be improved. Now this easy chocolate zucchini cake recipe has become one of our family’s favorite ways to use fresh zucchini.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Rich, fudgy chocolate flavor
- Ultra moist thanks to fresh zucchini
- The zucchini completely disappears as it bakes
- Easy 9×13 cake—no layers required
- Topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting
- Perfect for using garden zucchini
- Great for parties, potlucks, and birthdays
- Freezes beautifully
Ingredients You’ll Need
Cake
- Eggs: Add structure and richness while helping the cake rise.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and keeps the crumb soft and tender.
- Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel flavor.
- Canola Oil: Keeps the cake tender for days.
- Vanilla: Enhances the rich chocolate flavor.
- Flour: Gives the cake structure while keeping it soft.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise into a light, fluffy crumb.
- Baking Soda: Reacts with the cocoa and brown sugar for extra lift and tenderness.
- Cocoa Powder: Gives the cake its rich chocolate flavor.
- Cinnamon: Enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like spice cake.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and intensifies the chocolate.
- Zucchini: Adds moisture without making the cake taste like vegetables.
Frosting
- Cocoa Powder: Creates a deep chocolate flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Creates a tangy frosting that balances the rich chocolate.
- Butter: Makes the frosting smooth, rich, and creamy.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Chocolate Milk: Thins the frosting to the perfect spreadable consistency while adding even more chocolate flavor.
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Mix the wet ingredients.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Combine everything and fold in the zucchini.
- Bake.
- Cool completely.
- Frost.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake FAQs
Zucchini adds moisture to baked goods and keeps cake and breads moist and tender.
Zucchini does not need to be peeled for cake. Just wash it, cut the ends off, and grate it. I like to grate it on the smallest grate, and then it isn’t even noticeable in the cake. This is how I get my kids to eat it without knowing!
Usually, no. Fresh, medium-sized zucchini has just the right amount of moisture for this recipe. If your zucchini is especially large or watery, gently pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the batter.
Absolutely! Pour the batter into a well-greased 10 cup bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Yes!! I would use cupcake liners and they will bake for about 18-20 minutes. It will make about 20-24 cupcakes.
You can freeze chocolate zucchini cake for up to 3 months. It is best to freeze before frosting it and then add the frosting shortly before serving it.
Does Chocolate Zucchini Cake Taste Like Zucchini?
Not at all! Zucchini has a very mild flavor that completely disappears once baked. Its job is simply to add moisture, giving the cake an incredibly soft, tender crumb.
Variations
This zucchini chocolate cake is perfect just the way it is, but it’s also easy to customize with a few simple changes.
- Add mini chocolate chips.
- Use dark cocoa powder.
- Add chopped walnuts.
- Add espresso powder for deeper chocolate flavor.
- Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the frosting.
- Make it into cupcakes.
- Bake it in a Bundt pan.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Use finely grated zucchini so it melts right into the batter.
- Don’t peel the zucchini—the peel softens as it bakes and isn’t noticeable.
- Don’t squeeze the moisture out unless your zucchini is unusually large or watery.
- Mix the batter just until combined to keep the cake tender.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting stays thick and creamy.
- For clean slices, chill the cake for 20–30 minutes before cutting.
How to Store Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Store the frosted cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Because of the cream cheese frosting, we recommend refrigerating any leftovers after the first day.
This cake is also perfect for making ahead. Freeze the unfrosted cake for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and frost before serving.
If you’ve been looking for the perfect chocolate zucchini cake recipe, this is the one you’ll make again and again. It’s rich, incredibly moist, and topped with the most irresistible chocolate cream cheese frosting. The chocolate lovers in your life will love you forever and ever!
More Zucchini Recipes You’re Sure to Love:
Sweet
- Perfect Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Muffins (Gluten Free)
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Savory
- Mexican Zucchini Boats
- Zucchini Sausage Casserole
- Zucchini Corn Casserole
- BBQ Chicken Zucchini Nachos
- Zucchini Pizza Crust
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Cup Canola, plus 3 tablespoons
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Cups Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Cup Cocoa
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Zucchini, grated, doesn't need to be peeled, about 2 zucchini
Frosting
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
- ¼ Cup Butter, unsalted, softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- ½ Cup Cocoa, unsweetened
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Milk, chocolate milk is a game changer if you have it
Instructions
For The Cake
- Beat eggs until smooth and lemon in color3 Eggs
- Add the oil, sugars, and vanilla. Blend well.1 Cup Sugar, 1 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Cup Canola, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, cinnamon and salt.2 Cups Flour, ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ Cup Cocoa, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Mix dry ingredients and zucchini into the wet ingredients.2 Cups Zucchini
- Pour into a 9X13 inch cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick at 30 minutes, if it comes out clean it is done.
- Allow the cake to cool completely which can take a good 1-3 hours depending on how warm your house is. Then frost the cake and serve.
- Cover leftovers and store for up to 1 week.
For the Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer with a large bowl), beat together 8 oz cream cheese with butter on medium/high speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add vanilla.8 oz Cream Cheese, ¼ Cup Butter, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Sift in 3 cups powdered sugar with 1/2 cup cocoa powder to ensure there are no lumps then add 1/4 tsp salt. Mix on low speed adding the splash of milk as it comes together. Add an additional tablespoon of milk if needed.3 Cups Powdered Sugar, ½ Cup Cocoa, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 Tablespoon Milk
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Trying to figure out where the extra 3 tbsp. of oil go. The directions say to add 1 cup of oil but the ingredients list 1 cup plus 3 tbsp. I am excited to try this recipe!
Hello! In step 2 add all the oil…so the 1 cup and 3 tablespoons. I hope this helps!
I accidentally didn’t put in the vanilla since one of my kids had a fit while I was making it. I had extra large eggs so I omitted the 3 Tbs oil, but I think I should have used it. I over baked it a bit so it’s not as moist as it should be, but that’s on me. I thought the icing was nice.
Thank you so much! Yes, definitely don’t omit the oil next time! That will help with the texture a lot!
I made this and it was amazing.
Yay! Love to hear this! Thanks Shirley!
My favorite go to chocolate cake. I make it with King Arthur measure to measure flour as I am gluten intolerant.
When I make it, no one else can tell it’s gluten-free, it’s so amazing.
Instead of cinnamon I usually put espresso powder.
Thanks for the ultimate chocolate cake!
This is great feedback! Thank you so much Kelly! This will be so helpful for all our GF readers!
How do you use frozen zucchini I have loads of it Marilynn
Hi Marilynn! Go ahead and thaw the zucchini and squeeze all the extra moisture out of it. Then use as written in the recipe. Enjoy!!
This cake is delicious. I will be making it again.
Yay! Love to hear this! Thank you so much!
What kind of cocoa powder did you use? It looks extra dark! I have to make this!!
Hi Brittany! I used Ghirardelli unprocessed Dutch cocoa. Yum!
Do you squeeze out excess moisture from the zucchini before adding it or just go immediately from grating into the mixture?
Hi Tara! You shouldn’t need to, but you can if you are worried about too much moisture. All zucchinis are different as far as moisture content.