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A moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake with rich chocolate frosting is the best way to use up shredded zucchini. This recipe is so simple to make as a sheet cake with tons of chocolate flavor and no one will guess it has zucchini in it!

A slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a white plate, with a gold fork beside it. In the background, whole zucchinis and a tray of additional cake are visible.

I absolutely love zucchini in desserts! I’ve been baking squash into zucchini brownies, cookies, and even coffee cake for many years and I decided I wanted to develop a chocolate cake recipe that was extra moist from the zucchini while being fudgy and rich just like a chocolate cake with frosting should be.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • Easy one bowl chocolate cake that’s totally foolproof.
  • I’ve tested it multiple times so you know you can trust the recipe.
  • It’s perfect with a rich chocolate buttercream or chocolate cream cheese frosting
  • Great for using up that zucchini in your fridge or garden!
Top-down view of baking ingredients in bowls: shredded zucchini, eggs, flour, cocoa, sugar, brown sugar, oil, vanilla, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, salt, and chocolate frosting. Each is labeled with text.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Ingredients

  • Cocoa Powder is what turns the cake chocolate. This recipe was tested with regular, unsweetened cocoa powder, so it’s important to use that kind. Dutch cocoa or black cocoa can interfere with baking soda, causing your cake to not rise properly.
  • A combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar sweetens the cake and the brown sugar keeps it moist, along with the fats from the egg yolks.
  • I love using vegetable oil in cakes because it keeps the cake from drying out. Canola oil may be substituted.
  • This recipe was written for all-purpose flour and will be moist and light without cake flour.
  • The star of the cake is the zucchini! While your cake won’t taste like squash it will stay moist due to the water content of the vegetable. Use a box grater to shred your zucchini and you can leave the peel on.
A slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting sits on a white plate. In the background, whole zucchinis and a baking tray with more frosted cake are visible.

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Dorothy’s Testing Notes

  • You might wonder if you need to wring out your zucchini shreds, and the short answer is no. This recipe is written for regular shredded zucchini that has not been patted dry. However, if you notice the squash is wetter than normal or if it’s been thawed from frozen, you should pat any excess water off of the shredded bits.
  • Pan Sizes: This cake can be made as a 9×13-inch cake, two 9-inch cake rounds, or approximately 24 cupcakes.
  • You know cake is done baking when a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
  • Frost the cake once it’s been cooled with your choice of frosting.
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Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

By: Dorothy Kern
Moist Chocolate Zucchini cake is made with cocoa powder and shredded zucchini, topped with chocolate frosting.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
A slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on a white plate, with a gold fork beside it. In the background, whole zucchinis and a tray of additional cake are visible.
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Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

  • 1 ¾ cups (217g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (40g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (220g) shredded zucchini

FOR THE FROSTING:

  • ¼ cup (20g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch rectangular cake pan. You can also use nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour).
  • Whisk salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cocoa, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs until beaten, then whisk in oil, vanilla and both sugars. Whisk until well combined.
  • Using a spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in zucchini.
  • Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
  • Let the cake completely cool before removing from the pan and frosting.

To make the frosting:

  • Whisk cocoa, salt, and powdered sugar (sift if the cocoa is lumpy).
  • Add butter to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until creamy.
  • Add powdered sugar cocoa mixture and mix until crumbly; add vanilla.
  • Add enough cream to make the mixture come together; beat at least 1 full minute before adding more cream to desired consistency.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storing & Freezing Zucchini Cake

  • Store frosted cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 48 hours or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • You can freeze the baked and cooled cake separately from the frosting (cake wrapped well in plastic; frosting in an airtight container) for up to 3 months.
  • Freeze baked and frosted cake slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Cake might get a bit stale around the edges once sliced and frozen.

How to make Chocolate Zucchini Cake

A glass bowl filled with cocoa powder and dry baking mix sits on a white marble surface.
A clear glass bowl filled with a light brown, slightly frothy liquid mixture sits on a white surface.
A clear glass bowl filled with a thick, chocolate-colored batter, possibly containing shredded zucchini, sits on a white surface.
A rectangular metal baking pan filled with a brown, textured batter, possibly for a cake or brownies, sits on a white surface.
  1. It’s always good to whisk the dry ingredients together first when baking cake. This assures there are no lumps of cocoa in your final cake batter.
  2. Because you’re using oil you can whisk by hand (or use a hand mixer).
  3. The cake batter will seem thick once the dry ingredients are added; once the zucchini is folded in it will loosen the batter.
  4. Place in prepared pan and bake at 350°F.

Favorite Zucchini Desserts

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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