"My mom makes the best zucchini chocolate cake. It is so easy to keep taking thin slices from the pan with a butter knife. You just think that if you walk by the pan that’s sitting on the counter and take a morsel, no one will even notice. Eventually, after you walk by for the 14th time, someone is going to notice that a third of the pan disappeared in 20 minutes. I think my favorite part of this recipe is that about halfway through the baking time, she sprinkles chocolate chips and granulated sugar over the top. They both melt into the top of the cake, but don’t bake so long that they overbake and get burned or too crunchy.
This is the Goldenrod version of her recipe.
We worked up this recipe during the first summer the shop was open. I really wanted
to focus on using local ingredients and produce when I opened Goldenrod, but that was proving kind of hard to do with pastries unless I wanted to do more savory options. So, we started looking for ways to use what was already there, and to make some childhood favorites in our new, inclusive way of baking. This is a customer favorite that we are thrilled to bring back every summer.
We’ve tried baking this cake in just about every shape and size, and it’s great any way you bake it."
Zucchini Chocolate Cake
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A Note from Feedfeed
An easy, seriously addictive, chocolate cake recipe to get you through the week and curb those chocolate cravings! This cake uses summer zucchini to add moisture to the cake, which makes it even harder to say "No, Thank you."
Recipe excerpted with permission from Perfectly Golden: Adaptable Recipes for Sweet and Simple Treats by Angela Garbacz
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Prep time: 10mins
Cook time: 35mins
Recipe Card
ingredients
- Nonstick spray for pan
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, plus more for dusting and 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 1 cup (179 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup (67 grams) cocoa powder
- 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour
- 3 cups (360 grams) grated zucchini
- 1/2 cup (77 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
Method
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and dust it with granulated sugar.
Step 2
Combine the eggs, both sugars, and oil in a large bowl and mix using a wooden spoon. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder and mix again to incorporate, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. If your grated zucchini feels very heavy with moisture, I recommend squeezing out some of the liquid before adding the zucchini. You can do this by putting the grated zucchini in a clean tea towel and wringing it out over a bowl or sink. Add the zucchini and mix to combine.
Step 3
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the top of the cake and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges start to pull away from the side of the pan a little, the center of the cake just barely gives when you gently press it with your finger, and a cake tester or paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 4
This cake is great eaten warm, or at room temperature. You can store this at room temperature, covered, for about 5 days.