Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Name: Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 33 min
Total time: 48 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 350 Grams (1 3/4 Cups) Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar; 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature; 2 1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract; 6oz (3/4 Cup) Vegetable Oil; 4oz (1/2 Cup) Sour Cream; 300 Grams (1 Large Zucchini) Grated Zucchini; 250 Grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour; 90 Grams (3/4 Cup) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder ( I use Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder); 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda; 1/2 Teaspoon Salt; 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder; 4oz (1/2 Cup) Hot Coffee*; Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

By Elizabeth Waterson // May 22, 2024 (Updated Jun 9, 2025) // 2 Comments

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Indulge in a moist and delicious chocolate zucchini cake, perfect for using up those summer garden zucchini. This easy recipe will have you coming back for seconds!

slice of chocolate zucchini cake on a stack of white plates on top of a linen with a fork and cup of coffee.

Holy cow. This cake. I did not expect to be addicted to this but boy was I! I kept finding myself going back for more, it was one of those situations where you slice the cake so it looks as if you haven't taken any but then your ten "slivers" in. I hope you love this chocolate zucchini cake as much as my family did.

hand holding a slice of zucchini chocolate cake

Let's get to the recipe

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Ingredients
Instructions
Tips for Success
More zucchini recipes
Recipe Card
Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

For this easy zucchini chocolate cake you will need:

Granulated Sugar. The sugar will sweeten the cake and aid in the structure of the cake.
Large Eggs. The eggs will add richness and structure to the cake. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature
Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla warms up the cake and pairs beautifully with the chocolate.
Neutral Oil. I like to use avocado oil but you can use vegetable oil or canola oil if you prefer. The oil creates an incredibly moist, soft cake.
Sour Cream. This dairy bomb helps create a tender, soft, moist cake crumb.
Grated Zucchini. Trust me when I say you would never know there is a large zucchini grated into this cake batter. The zucchini helps create a soft and moist cake for days. Some recipes call for squeezing the moisture out of the zucchini but for this recipe, we will keep all of that moisture in to keep a super moist cake!
All-Purpose Flour / Plain Flour. I urge you to weigh your flour, measuring properly can help ensure success while baking.
Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. This recipe was developed for the use of Unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, you can't swap in natural cocoa powder. Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder provides an intense chocolate flavor!
Baking Soda. The baking soda pairs with the sour cream to activate and help the cake rise while baking.
Salt. This little star brings out all of the flavor profiles of all of the other ingredients.
Baking Powder. Baking powder is a chemical leavening agent that has already been activated but helps the cake rise while baking.
Hot Coffee. Trust me, you won't taste the coffee whatsoever but it helps create a really moist intensely chocolate cake!

You could add in some mini chocolate chips to the cake batter, I would add about 1 cup.

ingredients for zucchini chocolate cake on a light pink surface.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9" X 13" pan. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, and sour cream and mix until fully combined.

wet ingredients mixed together in a glass bowl on a light pink surface with a linen.

Mix in the shredded zucchini until fully combined.

grated zucchini added to wet ingredients in a glass bowl on a light pink surface with a linen.

Place a large fine mesh sieve on top and soft in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Fold in the dry ingredients to just combine.

dry ingredients sifted into wet ingredients in a large glass bowl on a light pink surface with a linen.

Add in the hot coffee and mix until evenly combined. The cake batter will be very thin. Pour into the prepared pan.

chocolate zucchini cake batter with hot coffee added in a glass bowl on a light pink surface with a linen.

Bake for 27-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Set cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.

chocolate zucchini cake before or after baking in a metal sheet pan on a light pink surface.

While the cake is cooling prepare chocolate frosting. When the cake is fully cooled begin frosting. Depending on what frosting you use store the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days.

chocolate zucchini sheet cake with sprinkles next to a cup of tea, cake slicer and bowl of sprinkles.

half eaten chocolate zucchini cake on a stack of white plates on top of a linen with a cup of coffee and bowl of sprinkles.

Tips for Success

Eager to make the best chocolate zucchini cake you've ever had? Here are a few points to keep in mind that will help you achieve that goal.

Room temperature ingredients. The eggs in the cake batter should be at room temperature. They will incorporate more easily with the rest of the ingredients. This will help keep you from over-mixing.
Sift the dry ingredients. It can be tempting to opt out of sifting your dry ingredients but I highly encourage you to take the extra moment. It makes a big difference. Sifting the dry ingredients will eliminate any clumps in the mixture, leaving you with a smoother batter. Sifting also makes the dry ingredients lighter and airier. This way, they incorporate more easily with the other ingredients, helping to prevent you from over-mixing.
Sift the powdered sugar. When making the frosting, go the extra mile and sift the powdered sugar. This will help you get the smoothest frosting possible.
Scrape the bowl. Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl periodically as you add and mix ingredients. This will ensure that all of the ingredients make it into the batter and that everything is evenly combined.
Cool completely. Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling the cake. Adding frosting to a warm cake will result in frosting that slides right off the cake. No one wants that.

More zucchini recipes

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Recipe Card

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

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Print Recipe

Indulge in a moist and delicious chocolate zucchini cake, perfect for using up those summer garden zucchinis. This easy recipe will have you coming back for seconds!

Total Time: 48 minutes
Yield: 12 Slices 1x

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9" X 13" pan. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil, and sour cream and mix until fully combined. Mix in the grated zucchini until fully combined.
Place a large fine mesh sieve on top and soft in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix to just combine.
Add in the hot coffee and mix until evenly combined. The cake batter will be very thin. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 27-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Set cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling prepare chocolate frosting. When the cake is fully cooled begin frosting. Depending on what frosting you use store the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days.