Three times the chocolate makes this moist and rich Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake a decadent and delicious way to eat your greens. This chocolate zucchini dessert is the perfect recipe to serve all year long.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Do you get excited for certain ingredients at certain times of the year? During the summer months, I get excited to use green veggies in my baking.
I know I should enjoy zucchini as a veggie more often, but I seriously love baking it into chocolate zucchini desserts. It gives them such an awesome texture and taste!
This Chocolate Zucchini Cake and this Double Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread WERE two of my favorite ways to “eat my greens”. They were my favorite until I had a slice of this decadent chocolate zucchini bundt cake. This cake is now my favorite zucchini dessert recipe.
A few weeks ago I headed to the grocery store because I was craving more chocolate covered zucchini. I wanted to use the green veggies to make an over the top zucchini bundt cake.
This moist and rich chocolate zucchini cake has chocolate glaze and chocolate chips. One bite and you will agree that this is the best way to eat your greens.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
Three cups of shredded veggies inside this zucchini bundt cake gives you a good reason to call this dessert a veggie. A slice of this cake can totally count as part of your daily greens. Wink, wink!
Thee kinds of chocolate make this the most decadent, amazing, and delicious chocolate zucchini cake you will ever bake!
- Butter – Unsalted and Softened
- Sugar – A mixture of brown and granulated sugar sweetens this zucchini cake.
- Eggs & Buttermilk – Adds moisture and richness to the cake batter.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt – Adds flavor.
- Zucchini – 3 cups of grated zucchini makes the cake rich & moist. No one will even know there are veggies hiding inside.
- All Purpose Flour – Gives the cake structure. Make sure to measure your flour the proper way.
- Dark Cocoa Powder – gives the cake batter a dark rich color and flavor.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Provides the lift this moist chocolate zucchini cake needs.
- Spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg add a slight spice to the cake.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – adds pockets of chocolate goodness inside and out!
How to make Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
This chocolate cake with zucchini comes together so quickly and easily. Make sure to grease and flour your bundt pan very well before adding the cake batter.
- Grease a 12 cup bundt pan. Make sure it is not a smaller pan, or the cake will not bake right.
- Beat softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, spices, baking powder, and baking soda in another bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk until a batter forms.
- Add the shredded zucchini and mini chocolate chips and stir in gently.
- Spoon the chocolate cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a plate and cool completely.
- Drizzle with chocolate glaze and add more chocolate chips.
PRO TIP: If your shredded zucchini is EXTRA wet, squeeze some of the excess liquid out of it BEFORE adding it to the cake batter.
Chocolate Glaze
A chocolate glaze rolling down the sides of the zucchini bundt cake adds another layer of chocolate goodness. The glaze is optional. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the cooled cake.
- Stir together chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat for 30 seconds.
- Stir until melted and creamy. Let the chocolate mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Spoon the chocolate glaze over the top of the cooled zucchini bundt cake.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a buttermilk substitute?
Homemade buttermilk is very easy to make. Pour 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup, then add milk until it reaches the 1/2 cup mark. Let it sit 5-10 minutes before using.
Do you need to peel the zucchini before making chocolate cake?
There is no need to peel the zucchini for this chocolate cake recipe. Use the smallest holes on a veggie grater to shred the zucchinis, peels and all. No one will even know there are veggies in the chocolate cake.
More Zucchini Dessert Recipes
- Zucchini Cream Cheese Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Brownies
- Banana Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Zucchini Cake
- Best Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Donuts
- Pineapple Zucchini Cake
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Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake Recipe
Three times the chocolate makes this Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake a decadent and fun way to eat your greens. Great summer dessert!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3 cups finely shredded zucchini* (see note below)
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. (I like Baker's Joy for bundt cakes)
- Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add the dry alternately with the buttermilk until everything is incorporated. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips by hand.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean. Remove and cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip it out onto a plate and cool completely.
- Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds. Stir until melted and creamy.
- Let it cool 5-10 minutes, then spoon over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the mini chips and let set. Store in a tightly sealed container.
Notes
- If your zucchini is really wet after you grate it, make sure to squeeze the excess water out of it BEFORE adding it to the cake batter.
- If you do not have buttermilk on hand, pour 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in a measuring cup, then add milk until it reaches the 1/2 cup mark. Let it sit 5-10 minutes before using.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 353mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 3gSugar: 38gProtein: 7g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Cate says
Made today not serving till tomorrow does this need to be in fridge? Or ok in a cool room
Cate says
I made this cake for tomorrow..looks great..hope inside is as good as the outside looks..my question is it’s in a Tupperware container and in the dining room darker spot a bit cooler than rest of house is that ok? Or does it need to be in fridge. I’m afraid it will dry out in fridge !?
Jocelyn says
The cake will be fine sitting out on the counter as long as it is loosely covered. If you are keeping it for a longer period of time, you could refrigerate it. I hope you enjoy the cake.
Angie Walker says
This cake is in the oven as I type…. I added some instant coffee crystals to the cake batter, and also made a cream cheese/coffee glaze to drizzle on top. Can’t wait to try it.
Maureen says
I do not have Salted butter… Can I use unsalted butter?
Jocelyn says
You sure can. Actually, the recipe calls for unsalted butter, so what you have is perfect. Happy baking!
Maureen scoville says
I had this cake at a friends house . Like everyone stop talking I am in virtual heaven! So incredibly excited to make it today .I grew up in Scotland had amazing baked goods this is excellent so reminiscent of the Scottish cakes .thank you lassie!🏴🤣
Kim says
This was really good! I took it to work and it was gone by noon. I had a bunch of patty pan squash so I used it instead of zucchini and I was also out of vanilla so I used coffee rum! (In the glaze too)
C. Koch says
Interesting, I was so excited to make this cake as we love dark chocolate but was disappointed. Cake turned out fine and looked great but it is just too dense/heavy of a chocolate cake for us. Our preference is a lighter cake. Just personal preference I guess.
Jocelyn says
Thank you for trying the cake! It is a denser cake, so it does come down to preference. If you like a lighter style cake, this Dark Chocolate Cake would be better. https://insidebrucrewlife.com/dark-chocolate-layer-cake/ Let me know if you try this one.
Teena Wright says
have made this many times it is awesome!!!!
Judy Small says
What do you use for the glaze because I’m thinking whipping cream is not going to be glaze and how do you get chocolate I don’t know help me out if you can
Jocelyn says
You heat the whipping cream and pour it over chocolate chips, so they melt and make a sweet & thick glaze to pour on the cake.
Rachel says
Hi! I’m going to be baking this cKe tomorrow and I have just one question, do you peel the zucchini? Can’t wait to bake this cake for our neighborhood barbecue!
Jocelyn says
No need to peel the zucchini for this recipe. 🙂 I just use the smallest holes on a veggie grater to shred the zucchinis, peels and all. I hope you and everyone at the barbecue enjoys the cake!
Rachel says
The cake was a huge success I will definitely be making this again and again ??
Diane Watkins says
Made this today, I mean after all I had lots of zucchini to use.(;
Went together easy and it is delicious! Baked right at 60 mins and was perfect. Only thing I did differently was to put my zucchini on a paper towel to get all the moisture out while I was putting cake together. Everything else I did exactly as you have in recipe.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, definitely one I will be making over and over.
Heather says
I made this for dessert this evening and it was just perfect! It needed to bake it another 5 minutes, but I used a Pampered Chef Bundt stone bakeware so that may have been why. It looked so beautiful that I almost didn’t want to cut into it. My husband and I enjoyed it immensely! Thank you!
Marcy says
Trying this cake for the first time (since I have an over abundance of monster zucchini this year)! As I wait for it to come out of the oven I thought I would let you know that when printing the recipe the ingredients for the glaze do not print out (not a big issue for me, but thought you might like to know incase anyone else was so inclined to print it too!).
Not telling the teenage sasquatch there is zucchini in the cake, we’ll see if he can tell I’m hiding veggies in the chocolate cake….hahahaha!
Can’t wait to give this a try after dinner!!!!!
Sherry says
YUM!
Laura H. says
We just finished our first slice of this cake. We ran out of semisweet chips and had to use milk chocolate chips for the glaze. Minor substitute but it was delicious! I do squeeze most of the liquid out of the zucchini before adding it into recipes. Just something I’ve always done so didn’t even think about it. Still incredibly moist and delicious. Saving this one to make again some day. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Jocelyn says
I am so glad you enjoyed this cake! It’s one of my favorite ways to use zucchini. I usually don’t squeeze it out for this one, but if the zucchini seems extra wet after grating it I will squeeze a little bit.
Maria says
Do we use salted or unsalted butter?
Jocelyn says
I use unsalted butter in all my recipes. Thank you for letting me know this recipe didn’t specify which one. I have gone in and fixed it to say unsalted butter. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Dawn says
Looks amazing!
Donna says
I just finished making this cake. The cake did not take 50 minutes. It only took 30 minutes!
It was a lot of work so I hope the cake is as good as hours looks! Keep you posted
Jocelyn says
Hi, Donna. How was the cake when you cut into it??? I actually just made this cake again, and it still took 50 minutes in my oven. I’m not quite sure why yours would have baked so much faster. Most bundt cakes take at least 45 minutes to bake all the way through. Are you sure you added every ingredient? What size was your bundt pan? Was the zucchini dry when you shredded it? I’m not doubting your baking skills, I’m just trying to think of any possible reason why it would have baked so quickly.
Kathaleen says
Made this and used a vanilla glaze with mini chips on top and it was so delicious ,everyone loved it and couldn’t believe it had zucchini in it! Will make again for sure,thank you.
Sheila says
I made this with gluten free flour for my daughter’s birthday (she has Celiac disease) and it was moist and delicious…which are two words I have never used to describe any gluten free bakery item. I’ve made it 3 times in the past month and it turned out great every time. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
mbwjck@gmail.com says
Hi, just curious; Do you drain/squeeze your shredded zucchini at all? Thanks!
Jocelyn says
I do not usually squeeze shredded zucchini in most of my recipes. Unless I shred it and it seems extra wet or if I specifically say to do it. I hope that helps and you enjoy the cake.
Mary C Menis says
The cake has several steps but recipe actually quite easy to follow.i don’t have allot of patience so if I can follow recipe anyone.can.i made this for dessert to take along with dinner for my brother.my husband and I were going to his house to have an enjoyable evening with him.
ColleenB.~ Tx. says
OHMYGOSH; that looks so delicious and looks nice and moist as well.
Chocolate . . . A Delicious Cure for a Bad Day.
Linda Gardell says
Was the worst thing i’ve Every made have no idea what happened was so dense and heavy ! Was a waste of time not to mention the cost $$ of making it only to throw it away ! This was first time i’ve Used one of your recipes and will be the last ! I’ve made lots of thing with zucchini was the first that didn’t turn out !!???
Jocelyn says
I am so sorry this didn’t turn out for you. Was your zucchini extra wet when you grated it? If it is, you need to squeeze that moisture out before adding it to the batter. Also, how long did you bake it for? And did you test it with a skewer or knife before taking it out of the oven? If there was still batter on that, it would need to bake longer. All ovens do bake differently, which is why I say 50-60 minutes.