Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate zucchini cake is a sweet, tender cake made moist by fresh summer squash.

Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
buttercream cake
buttercream cake
buttercream cake

Meet the Chef: Haley Williams

Haley Williams is the founder of If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen, a baking blog providing helpful tips and tricks to guarantee success in the kitchen. Haley's recipes are easy to follow and fun to try for diehard foodies and culinary novices alike. It’s about mastering the baking basics and being creative along the way!

Servings

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

  • 2 cups All purpose flour 2 cups All purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Baking soda 1 ½ teaspoons Baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon Baking powder ½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt ½ teaspoon Salt
  • C&H® Granulated Sugar ¾ cup ¾ cup C&H® Granulated Sugar
  • C&H® Golden Brown Sugar ¾ cup ¾ cup C&H® Golden Brown Sugar
  • ¾ cup Vegetable oil ¾ cup Vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup Unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup Unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup Sour cream, room temperature ¼ cup Sour cream, room temperature
  • 4 Large eggs, room temperature 4 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups Shredded zucchini, patted slightly dry 3 cups Shredded zucchini, patted slightly dry
  • ½ cup Semisweet chocolate chips ½ cup Semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate buttercream frosting

  • 1 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
  • C&H® Confectioners Sugar 1 ¾ cups 1 ¾ cups C&H® Confectioners Sugar
  • ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder ½ cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 1-3 Tablespoons milk 1-3 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Step 3

In a separate large bowl, beat together C&H® Pure Cane Sugar, C&H® Golden Brown Sugar, vegetable oil, melted butter, sour cream and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and mix until combined, about 1 minute.

Step 4

Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to mix just until combined (avoid over mixing). Add shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. Stir just until incorporated.

Step 5

Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread batter evenly. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan.

Step 6

For the frosting, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add C&H® Powdered Sugar and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add vanilla and milk, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until frosting is smooth.

Step 7

Transfer frosting to cooled cake and use an offset spatula to spread evenly. Cut cake and serve.

Chef's Tip

For the zucchini, pat until slightly dry. The squash should still have a little moisture in it when adding it to the cake batter. Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.