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Do you have neighbors been leaving bags of zucchinis at your doorstep? This rich double Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake with chocolate chips will be the tastiest treat you’ll make with your summer squash supply!

Adding zucchini to baked goods works all sorts of magic! Just like with zucchini bread, the addition of grated zucchini adds moisture, not to mention a smidgen of nutrition! This Chocolate Zucchini Cake was a hit across the board!

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake on a white cake plate.
Table of Contents hide
1 Reader Endorsements:
2 Why You Must Make
3 Chocolate Bundt Cake
4 Expert Tips
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 You May Also Like:
7 Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Reader Endorsements:

From Donna via Pinterest: I have made chocolate zucchini cake before and I have my own recipe, but I have to tell you that your recipe is absolutely awesome! I am making it again as everyone loved ❤ it and I had enough zucchini left over to not only make 2 loaves of zucchini bread and the cake. The zucchini that I got from a farmer’s stand was huge! Thank you for an awesome recipe!

From Teresa: Best zucchini cake recipe I’ve made! Actually, best cake recipe I’ve made! Fantastic!

Why You Must Make

  • It’s rich and tasty plus it’s super moist due to the addition of zucchini!
  • Besides a few green specks, you’d never guess there’s zucchini in the recipe.
  • It’s the perfect way to use up your garden zucchini! Bake it on repeat!

Originally, I made this cake for a blogger group that was cooking with squash! You may recall that the hubby avoids zucchini like the plague. I was hopeful that a bit of smoke and mirrors could change all that.

But three cups of shredded zucchini was hard to disguise even with the addition of cocoa powder and chocolate chips. There were minuscule telltale spots of green interspersed amongst the rich chocolate base.

Would he or wouldn’t he eat this Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake? Read on to find out.

Slice of Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake on a white plate with a red handle fork and two strawberries.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

The first time I baked this chocolate zucchini cake, Bill spotted it on the kitchen counter after arriving home from work. He was most pleased to learn it was designated for home.

I saw him examining his slice after dinner, then taking his fork to pull out any visible “green stuff.” Foiled again! But he did admit he liked the cake before I revealed the secret ingredient. He suggested that I leave out the zucchini next time! Sheesh.

Fast forward 6 years, and I gave it another shot. I must have grated the zucchini even finer, as he never said a word, just cleaned his plate! I shared some slices with a few girlfriends. The first asked if you could taste the zucchini, and after I assured her you couldn’t, she dived right in. After her first bite, she wasn’t shy to say how much she loved it, and how it was so very moist and tasty!

Expert Tips

For all you “normal” zucchini-loving folks out there, I promise this is one marvelous cake.

  • It does not have the chocolate intensity of some of my other creations, but it is super moist and tender. Again, I took this to a group of my girlfriends to get their opinions. They unanimously praised this chocolate zucchini Bundt cake with chocolate chips. I sent slices home with nearly everyone.
  • Unlike my zucchini bread recipe, the grated zucchini does not need to be squeezed dry. The extra moisture is factored into the baking chemistry.
  • PRO-Tip: If your kids (or spouse) do not think zucchini cake sounds appealing, finely grate the zucchini so that it’s not as evident when you slice the cake.
  • PRO-Tip: This recipe uses both baking soda and baking powder. Baking powder is likely to expire while sitting in your panty, so make sure to check the expiration date before making this recipe. If it’s nearly expired, you may want to purchase a fresh tin to make sure it’s potent.
  • I’d suggest making it in a classic Bundt pan (affiliate link). The chocolate chips tend can stick and so the simpler profile works best.
  • Make sure to prep your pan well with a spray like Baker’s Joy (affiliate link) or grease with butter or shortening and dust with flour.
  • Let it cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before attempting to remove it from the pan. Any earlier and it will be too delicate and may break apart as you flip it onto the cooling rack.
  • I usually place the cooling rack, top side down, on top of the cake, then flip both of them over at once.
  • Giving the pan a gentle jiggle back and forth first helps loosen the cake from the pan. Make sure to use hot pads when jiggling and flipping.
Slice of zucchini cake on a white plate with the whole cake in the rear on a white cake stand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bundt Cake?

A Bundt cake is named after the pan in which it’s baked. Like an angel food cake pan, it’s a tube pan that will bake up with a hole in the center. Bundt pans range from a basic design to very intricate.
The non-stick coating can wear off over time, so I tend to use a classic Bundt pan unless I have a very new model. And even a non-stick Bundt pan should be prepped properly for a proper release.

How Long Does a Bundt Cake Bake?

To keep its shape, a Bundt cake batter is thicker than a typical cake batter so that it bakes up dense and sturdy. A layer cake may take only 25-30 minutes to bake, but a Bundt cake may take over an hour.
Since all ovens bake differently, it’s imperative to use a toothpick to check if the cake is done. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. Check a number of spots to be sure.

What Does the Zucchini Add to a Cake?

One word: Moisture! Zucchini is mainly water, so it will not contribute any flavor to the cake, but instead, that water is released as the cake bakes. Note that there may be little green specks visible from the zucchini peel, but no change in taste from the contribution.

You May Also Like:

Stay in touch through social media @ Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And if you love the results, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card.

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake on a white cake stand
The Recipe:

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield 12 servings

A double chocolate cake full of zucchini!!

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder*
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 cups grated zucchini
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour a Bundt pan (I spray with Baker's Joy or a similar product).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars with a mixer until fluffy.
  4. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk to the butter mixture and mix till combined.
  5. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.
  6. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
  7. Allow to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

*Make sure your baking powder is fresh. Baking soda does not expire as quickly as baking powder. If your baking powder isn't active, the cake won't rise properly. If you're unsure, check it by putting a spoonful in a cup of very hot water. It should bubble vigorously if fresh. If it doesn't, replace your supply before making this recipe.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 558mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 3gSugar: 40gProtein: 7g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes