Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Aug. 28, 2026
Indulgently rich, this chocolate zucchini cake is surprisingly healthy. It has the perfect balance of moisture and rich chocolate flavors that satisfies your sweet tooth, while remaining a feel-good recipe.
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Amy’s Notes
Think of your favorite homemade chocolate cake, and then add more fiber and nutrients to it. Now you have this incredible chocolate zucchini cake. It’s a cake that is actually good for you, but you can’t even taste the zucchini that is hidden inside of it. This zucchini cake recipe is a light cake with the perfect tender crumb and moistness. What you’ll love:
- The ingredients are pantry staples that you probably already have on hand.
- You can make it gluten-free with an easy flour swap.
- The finely-ground coffee gives it a deep and rich flavor that elevates the entire cake.
- This cake freezes well, so you can make it ahead of time and store it for up to six months.
- We use oil instead of butter, so the cake is naturally dairy-free.
- It’s easy to turn this cake into moist cupcakes, too.
Key Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: The base of the chocolate zucchini cake is all-purpose flour.
- White granulated sugar: This dissolves best into the batter and perfectly sweetens the cake.
- Pure cocoa powder: You can use either unsweetened cocoa powder or dark cocoa powder. It all depends on how rich you want the cake to taste.
- Fine ground instant coffee: Make sure it is ground super-fine. You can even use pre-ground espresso instead.
- Eggs: These are natural emulsifiers, helping everything blend and bind together.
- Both baking soda and baking powder are essential in making the cake light and fluffy.
- Vegetable oil: Use your favorite kind of oil to add moisture to the chocolate cake.
- Plenty of fresh zucchini. What is zucchini cake without zucchini? Grab some from your garden or the farmer’s market for the boldest flavor.
- Mini chocolate chips are sprinkled into the chocolate zucchini cake batter so that it’s even richer without changing the texture much. Mini chocolate chips are recommended, as they melt into the cake much better than regular sized chips.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it gluten free: All-purpose flour can be swapped one-to-one with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Swap the oil: Canola oil can be replaced with any neutral oil such as vegetable or melted coconut oil.
- Swap the sugar: The granulated sugar can be swapped for coconut sugar or a light brown sugar for a slightly deeper caramel note.
- Swap the cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa powder can be switched to dark or Dutch-process cocoa for a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Swap the chocolate: Try switching out some of the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips for a different flavor profile.
- Add-ins: Try folding in chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch, or add a teaspoon of cinnamon or espresso powder to deepen the flavor.
- Frosting: Try topping the finished cake with a chocolate ganache or cream cheese frosting. See my favorite homemade cream cheese frosting.
How to Prep Ahead
- Pre-Shred Zucchini: Grate it up to 1-2 days in advance and store it in the fridge in a sealed container or bag. For the best texture, give it a quick squeeze to remove excess liquid right before mixing it into the batter.
- Dry Ingredients: The flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder, and salt can be whisked together and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week in advance.
- Make and Freeze: The cake itself freezes very well, so you can bake the cake, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Pre-Slice: Slicing the cake before freezing and wrapping pieces individually makes it easy to pull out just what you need.
- Tip: Hold off on the frosting or dusting of powdered sugar until ready to serve, as the sugar can dissolve into the cake during storage.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Have your veggies and eat it too. In the form of chocolate cake! This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is moist, tender, fluffy, and superbly chocolatey. Nobody will guess your secret ingredient.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, decaf is fine
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ⅓ cups canola oil
- 3 cups zucchini, finely grated and loosely packed
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips, (mini chips melt into the cake well)
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting or frosting of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower middle position. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine well.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add oil, zucchini, and mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine well.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold together the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Fold gently just until no more dry streaks of flour remain; do not overmix.
- Bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached (be sure to test in a cake-only spot; cracked spots tend to be misleading, since melted chocolate chips sit in those cracks.)
- Cool cake completely in pan before slicing and serving. If desired, decorate cake with powdered sugar or frosting of your choice
Notes
- Grate the zucchini finely and lightly squeeze out excess moisture before adding it to the batter for the best texture.
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour and egg mixtures are combined; stop as soon as the dry streaks disappear.
- Test doneness in a cake-only spot with the toothpick, since melted chocolate chips in cracked areas can give a false read.
- Cake freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; wrap whole or in slices tightly in plastic and foil.
- Wait to add powdered sugar or frosting until just before serving, especially if freezing or storing ahead.
- Swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version.
- Use dark or Dutch-process cocoa powder for a richer, more intense chocolate flavor.
- Batter also works well for cupcakes or a bundt pan; adjust baking time as needed.
- Add chopped nuts, cinnamon, or swap in white chocolate/peanut butter chips for easy flavor variations.
Nutrition (per serving)
Serving: 1g | Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
Frequently Asked Questions
What does chocolate zucchini cake taste like?
This isn’t as rich as Devil’s food cake. It has a slightly milder flavor that still has the big chocolate taste that you love in your cake. The texture is extremely tender and moist.
Can you taste zucchini in cake?
No, you cannot taste the zucchini in this cake. It blends in perfectly with the rest of the ingredients.
Do you peel zucchini when you bake it?
No, you do not have to peel your zucchini before you grate or shred it for the cake. The skin is edible and bakes right into the cake. As long as you use the fine grater, you won’t
How do you store chocolate zucchini cake?
Store the cooled cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Can you freeze chocolate zucchini cake?
Yes, this cake freezes very well for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly, either whole or in individual slices, and thaw at room temperature before serving.
More To Cook and Eat
- Blueberry Coffee Cake – this is a gorgeous little cake filled with juicy blueberries.
- Fresh Strawberry Crumb Cake – the best way to put strawberries into your breakfast cake or dessert.
- Apple Cake with Caramel – celebrate the fall harvest with this super-sweet and nutritious cake.
- Butter Pound Cake – it only has six simple ingredients and super buttery and moist, never dry.
- Chocolate Cognac Bundt Cake – the addition of cognac deepens the flavor profile of this already rich cake.