Last Updated on 18 April, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
Chocolate zucchini cake is so rich and moist. Zucchini in a cake may seem a little unconventional at first but trust me, it is a game changer. It makes the cake extremely moist without adding additional fats. The additional nutrients also make it a guilt-free treat. Well, maybe not quite guilt-free 😉 but at least you have increased your greens intake for the day in something delicious!
If you want a traditional version, try my easy chocolate cake. For icing tips, read my post on chocolate buttercream frosting.
More Easy Zucchini Recipes
I get excited when I can actually pick some produce from my own veggie garden – as there is not always success with what I plant! But one vegetable that grows without fail every year is zucchini. I end up getting so many that I have to come up with new and exciting ways to use them (or hide them, as the case may be).
The Simplicity of the Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe
This zucchini cake batter is extremely quick and easy to make. The key steps are whisk, sift, grate, stir and bake. Whisk the wet ingredients (not the zucchini), sift all the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to incorporate. Grate the zucchini and add to the other ingredients. Stir until combined. Pour into the cake tins and bake. This recipe only requires whisking of the ingredients until they are thoroughly incorporated (no lumps). However, you can place all zucchini cake ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer if you prefer a hands-off approach.
Layered Chocolate Cake Recipe
There are one of two ways that I make a layered chocolate zucchini cake.
- Make two cakes. Place one the right way up on a serving plate or cake stand. Cover with buttercream and place the second cake upside down on top. You may need to level off the top of each if they have formed peaks during the bake. Then coat the whole cake with buttercream. For this, make an extra half a quantity of the buttercream.
- Cut the zucchini cake in half horizontally. If using this method you may wish to use a deep 20cm pan to make the cake higher and easier to manage cutting and moving of the layers. Again, even the top if necessary. Spread buttercream between the two layers and then coat with more buttercream.
Frosting Tip: If you have time, freezing the cake layers makes them easier to ice and handle. Trim the layers if necessary and then wrap the layers separately in plastic. Make sure they are completely covered, then wrap again in foil. Freeze for a couple of hours. When ready to construct, stack the frozen layers with the buttercream filling. Then sparingly ice the cake all over and place back in the freezer for 20 minutes, or until this layer of icing is frozen. This will stop crumbs from spreading through the decorative coat of icing. Lastly coat the Chocolate Zucchini Cake in buttercream frosting. Enjoy!
Feedback and More
Did you try the chocolate zucchini cake? I would love to hear from you. Why not leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or a comment below to let me know. Cheers, Elby!
If you liked this one, check out some of my other cakes and zucchini recipes. Also, follow The Tasteful Pantry on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for all the latest recipes.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- 3 large eggs - at room temperature and lightly beaten
- 200 ml oil - vegetable or mild flavoured
- 100 ml milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 320 grams flour - plain, approx. 2 cups
- 70 grams cocoa powder - unsweetened, approx. ¾ cup
- 330 grams white sugar - approx. 1½ cups
- 100 grams brown sugar - approx. ½ cup firmly packed
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarb soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 grams zucchini - 2 medium, finely grated and lightly squeezed (see notes)
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 125 grams unsalted butter - softened to room temperature
- 380 grams icing sugar
- 40 grams cocoa powder - unsweetened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 ml milk
Instructions
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Heat oven to 190°C | 170°C fan forced. Lightly grease and flour two 22cm springform cake tins.
- Whisk the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa, white and brown sugars, baking powder, bicarb and salt and stir to combine.
- Stir in the lightly squeezed zucchini.
- Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. The top of the cake will bounce back when touched lightly and a skewer will come out clean when cooked. Leave to rest in the tin for at least 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack and cool completely before icing.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed for 30 seconds or until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are mixed in.
- Increase speed to medium only and beat for 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.For more details, check out my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
