Zucchini in cake? Trust me. It works.
There’s no way around it—everyone loves chocolate cake. But when you add zucchini? The magic levels up. I’m not usually one to sneak veggies into desserts (that trend came and went), but this recipe—passed down from my Aunt Rachael—is an exception. Moist, rich, and full of chocolate flavor, this cake is a crowd-pleaser with or without disclosing the veggie intruder.
Mixer optional, no frosting necessary—just a really good cake.
This easy, one-bowl chocolate cake just happens to include zucchini. Lovely side bonus: if you use really soft butter, you do not need a mixer!
I still remember the time Aunt Rachael forgot to sprinkle chocolate chips on top. The cake was good…but with the chocolate chips? Infinitely better. Don’t skip them. I’ve seen other versions that include a chocolate frosting, but I’ve never bothered. I’m not a frosting girl—unless it’s “that’s the best frosting I’ve ever had” frosting. And this cake doesn’t need it. A smattering of chocolate chips (and maybe, some pecans) is all it takes for this cake to knock off your socks.
A few more things I love:
- It uses both butter and oil for depth and moisture (I usually use either avocado or coconut oil, but any neutral oil works).
- It calls for buttermilk…but if you’re like me and never buy it, vinegar + milk works fine every time
- The combo of brown and white sugar gives it richness and balance.
- It’s super forgiving—I’ve swapped in whole wheat flour before and it works like a charm.
- And best of all, you just need a whisk and a spatula. (Why do they call both the scraper and the flipper a spatula? So confusing.)
You can serve it warm or room temperature, but I actually like it best cold—denser, fudgier, and straight from the fridge. Powdered sugar works if you’re out of chips or nuts, but really…those melty chocolate bits on top? A necessity.
Recently, I took this to a family and the kids had mixed opinions about it but I bet your family may not even blink. Zucchini? What zucchini? It’s chocolate cake. Trust me—you’ll love it. It’s rich, chocolatey, and hard to resist. Give it a try—I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Real veggies. Real cake. Real love. –The Food Civilian
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Cream together:
- 1 stick butter softened
- ½ c oil can substitute applesauce instead
- ½ c sugar
- ½ c brown sugar
Add in:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ c buttermilk
Fold in:
- 2 c grated unpeeled zucchini about 2 ½ medium
Sift together:
- 2 ½ c all-purpose flour sifted
- ½ c unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
Sprinkle on top:
- 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ c chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Butter and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan, or a bundt pan.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves into a medium bowl.
- Beat the sugars, butter and oil (or applesauce) in a large bowl until well blended.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and buttermilk.
- Add in dry ingredients. Stir well.
- Gently fold in grated zucchini.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Sprinkle with chocolate chips (and nuts, if using).
- Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake completely in pan.