Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This ultimate Chocolate Zucchini Cake is studded with chocolate chips and topped with creamy chocolate frosting. It’s so moist and decadent everyone just might want a second slice! 

If you don’t have a garden, start gathering zucchini from your neighbors, because you are going to want to make this cake over and over again. 

I love baking with zucchini, and have over 20 recipes for breads, muffins, cakes, and even zucchini brownies that call for shredded zucchini. This zucchini cake with chocolate chips is my latest creation, and it is oh so good!

Why this is the best chocolate zucchini bundt cake:

• Triple chocolate – with cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and homemade chocolate frosting, it is the perfect way to get your chocolate fix!
• Zucchini and sour cream make it extremely moist. Even if you hate the word, I know you’ll love the texture of the cake. haha
• A bit of cinnamon gives it a tasty depth of flavor, but isn’t overpowering.
• It keeps well, so it’s a perfect make ahead dessert. We think it’s even better the second day. And you can freeze it before frosting if you need to.
• A whopping 3 cups of zucchini not only keeps the cake from drying out, it adds a bit of nutrients. Hooray for dessert counting as a vegetable!
• It’s made in a Bundt pan, so it looks fancy, but you don’t have to deal with any tricky layering or decorating.
• The frosting. Oh my word. Yes, you could serve it with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar, but the frosting is simply heavenly, and so easy to whip up!

Do I need to peel zucchini for cake?

No, there is no need to peel zucchini for baked goods. The green flecks of skin contain nutrients, and give people a hint that they are eating zucchini.

Of course, if you are trying to hide the zucchini from picky eaters, peeling the zucchini does make it virtually undetectable!

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

1. PREP – Spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with Baker’s Joy, or spread liberally with shortening and dust with flour. Shred zucchini. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. DRY INGREDIENTS – Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. WET INGREDIENTS – In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and whisk till smooth.
   
4. COMBINE- Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the zucchini. Stir together gently and fold in the chocolate chips.
   
5. BAKE – Spread batter in the prepared Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully dump out onto a cooling rack.
   
6. FROST – Cool cake completely. Beat the frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy, adding enough milk as needed. Spread over the top of the cake. 

Can you freeze chocolate zucchini cake?

Yes, you can freeze this cake. Let it cool completely, then wrap in triple layers of plastic wrap. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. 

When you are ready to serve, let the cake thaw at room temperature, then unwrap and add the frosting.

PRO TIPS:

• I recommend using Baker’s Joy cooking spray with flour for Bundt pans. It works so much better than regular cooking spray at keeping your cake from sticking to all the crevices in the pan. If you don’t have it, you can use shortening and flour.
• Make sure you let your cake cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan. If you take it out too soon or leave it in too long, it can stick. 
• Shred your zucchini with a coarse grater. If it seems too juicy, you can squeeze off some of the excess water with a paper towel. 
• After adding the dry ingredients, don’t overmix the batter. Beating the heck out of it will make your cake not as soft and tender.

VARIATIONS:

• This cake is also tasty with 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts added to the batter. 
• Instead of frosting the cake, you can sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve it with fresh berries.
• A simple chocolate ganache is also tasty in place of the frosting.
• Sprinkle mini chocolate chips, coconut, or chopped nuts on top of the cake after frosting it.
• We love this chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips, but you can omit them, or use another type like white chips or cinnamon chips.

MORE ZUCCHINI DESSERTS:

• Zucchini Cookies
• Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Zucchini Crisp

MORE BUNDT CAKES:

• White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
• Eggnog Bundt Cake
• Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Bundt Cake with Pudding
• Coconut Bundt Cake

If you try and love this bundt cake recipe, please leave a comment and a five star rating below!

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE RECIPE

Looking for a way to use up the abundance of zucchini from your garden? The entire family will go crazy for this heavenly chocolate zucchini bundt cake!