Double chocolate zucchini cake

Double chocolate zucchini cake

Rich chocolate zucchini cake with a hint of orange

Let’s get one thing straight.  We are firm believers that there is always a time and place for cake.  It doesn’t matter what your food preferences are, what the diet fad of the moment is, how much weight you think you need to lose or how much sugar you need to cut out of your diet.  Everything in moderation is fine.  The only problem is that it’s going to be hard for you to keep to moderation with this double chocolate zucchini cake, because it is so darn delicious.  However, given that there are 3 cups of grated zucchini in this bundt, we’re not sure that it even qualifies as cake.  Come to think of it, it’s more of a vegetable side dish.  Moderation problem solved.

Double chocolate zucchini cake

Chocolate zucchini cakes are certainly nothing new, and with an abundance of garden zucchini we have tested quite a few recipes over the years.  All were pretty good (because, cake), with some desserts turning out better than others.  This summer, we decided to jot down our own ideas, and came up with the recipe which follows.   We’re pretty impressed with ourselves, and with this cake.  We think you will be too 🙂

Double chocolate zucchini cake
Double chocolate zucchini cake

Helpful hints

Unlike other recipes where zucchini is grated and must be drained to remove all excess water, in this recipe you don’t want to drain your zucchini.  It is, in part, the water content of the zucchini which helps you to bake a cake which is incredibly moist and with a soft crumb.

The glaze for this cake is quite thin; you will not be left with a thick white glaze on top of the cake.  Instead, much of it will run off the cake, but what remains behind is enough to give a sweet, orange flavoured top.  The key to ensure that enough of your glaze remains on the cake is to pour it over a completely cooled cake.  Make sure your cake platter is large enough to catch the excess that drips off.

Double chocolate zucchini cake

The glaze is truly optional.  The cake is delicious without it, and so if you would prefer to save on the calories and ingredients, go ahead and skip the glaze.  We think that it adds a nice flavour and texture, but the cake is good enough to stand alone.

Double chocolate zucchini cake
Double chocolate zucchini cake

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Double chocolate zucchini cake

Double chocolate zucchini cake

Rich chocolate zucchini cake with a hint of orange
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tbsp grated orange rind
  • 3 cups grated zucchini (unpeeled) See notes
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • cooking spray for greasing the pan

For the glaze:

  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa and ground ginger.  Set aside.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, brown sugar and white sugar.  Beat to combine for 2 – 3 minutes.  Carefully pour in the olive oil, orange juice and grated orange rind.  Mix well to combine and then add the grated zucchini.  Beat well until well combined for 2 – 3 minutes.
    3 eggs, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup granulated white sugar, 1 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 tbsp grated orange rind, 3 cups grated zucchini (unpeeled)
  • With the speed of the mixer set to minimum, carefully add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) to the wet ingredients (eggs, sugar, oil etc…).  Mix well until evenly combined and then add in the chocolate chips.  Mix well.
    1 cup chocolate chips
  • Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray; alternatively you can grease it with some vegetable oil.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the middle rack of your oven for 55 to 60 minutes.  Check for doneness using a toothpick.  If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done.
  • Allow your cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack so that it cools completely.
  • To prepare the glaze, whisk together the orange juice and icing sugar.  When your cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze evenly over the top of the cake.  The glaze is quite runny and thin, so be sure to have a baking sheet or large platter under the cake to catch the drippings.
    2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • Enjoy!

Notes

No need to drain the zucchini. It is, in part, the water content of the zucchini which helps you to bake a cake which is incredibly moist and with a soft crumb.

Thanks for sharing!

14 Comments

  1. ajeanneinthekitchen says:

    I’ve made this before. It’s so moist and full of flavor.

    1. miakouppa says:

      We hope that you love our take on this classic cake Jeanne. Let us know if you give our recipe a try. We think you’ll love it 🙂 🙂

      1. ajeanneinthekitchen says:

        Shall do.

  2. Vicky Papazoglou says:

    This cake is so moist & delicious. I will definitely make this cake again. It’s perfect for chocolate lovers like me.

    1. miakouppa says:

      So glad to hear that you enjoyed the cake Vicky!!

  3. Amazing cake! Soo moist & delicious! Thank you for sharing this great recipe 🙂

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thanks Chris!! We’re so happy that you gave this recipe a try. It’s truly one of our favourites. We’re so happy that you enjoyed it as much as we do! xoxo Helen & Billie

  4. Hélène Deutsch says:

    Made your cake and OMG! first: love the intense dark chocolate colour. The texture is very moist. The flavour profile: chocolate and orange is a already a marriage made in heaven. The addition of ginger takes that over the top. And olive oil gives this all a rounded, full, smooth, well-balanced background flavour. Definitely and absolutely a recipe that makes it into my top 5 cake recipes! (displaces the now oh hum chocolate zucchini cake recipe with cinnamon and allspice).

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thank you so much Helene!! We truly thrilled that you tried, and loved, our cake 🙂 xoxo Helen & Billie

  5. I measured and weighed all the ingredients. I did not use a stand mixer but I used a deep mixing bowl. After I added the grated zucchini and used my my mixer at medium speed, liquid was splashing all over the place. I can’t understand why, as there was not a disproportionate amount of liquid. Don’t think using my stand mixer would have made a difference in my case. Perhaps the beaters used with this mixer contributed to the batter splashing everywhere.

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Gus! It’s hard to know for sure what happened. When we use our stand mixer for this recipe we use it with the paddle attachment. The only thing we can think of is that in using the hand held mixer you did not have the beaters immersed fully into the batter. If you had them closer to the surface, it could cause the type of splatter you describe. We hope you loved the cake despite the mess 😉 xoxo Helen & Billie

      1. Yes, I agree. Next time I will use my stand mixer.

  6. Hello! Really looking forward to trying this! Do you think it would be ok to make it in cupcake/muffin tin instead?

    1. miakouppa says:

      Absolutely! You will of course have to adjust the cooking time, but they will work out really well. We suspect that they will take about 20 minutes to bake, but not 100% certain. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. if it comes out clean, muffins are done! Enjoy! xoxo Helen & Billie

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