It’s that awesome time of year when piles of zucchini, squash and tomatoes show up on the lunchroom table at work, free to a good home. I have a tiny urban garden, so rambling zucchini plants are a space luxury I can’t afford right now.
Thankfully, I have country co-workers who supply me with these beauties. I’ve already made some standard zucchini bread, and had one last lucky zucchini destined for this chocolate cake.
I honestly can’t imagine the nutrients gained in zucchini could outweigh the chocolate issues this recipe provides. But if it makes you feel better knowing there are veggies in this cake…great. For me, I just think it’s amazing. The kids say it’s magic.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 9 x 13 pan 1x
Description
This chocolate zucchini cake is dairy-free and egg-free. It’s super chocolaty, you’ll never notice the zucchini!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. cinnamon
- 1/8 t. cloves
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cups dairy-free milk
- 1 t. vinegar
- 1 t. vanilla
- 8 T. dairy-free margarine
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup safe chocolate chips (I use Divvies)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together: flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
- Add the vinegar to the dairy-free milk and let it thicken a bit.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer , beat the margarine and sugar until creamy and fluffy.
- Add the oil and vanilla. Beat well.
- Add the thickened dairy-free milk and beat well.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix carefully.
- Once things are nearly blended together, add the zucchini and chocolate chips. Blend those guys in.
- Scoop into a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 45 minutes.
- Cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out pretty clean.
- Cool slightly before icing.
Notes
I used Silk Coconut Milk and Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine today. See my posts of dairy-free milk alternatives and dairy-free butter alternatives if you need ideas.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Chocolate Icing
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Description
This simple dairy-free chocolate icing comes together quickly. You can make this while the cake cools.
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick dairy-free margarine
- 2 T. cocoa powder, I use Nestle Cocoa Powder
- 3 T. dairy-free milk
- 1/2 t. vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring the margarine, cocoa, dairy-free milk, and vanilla to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar and whisk until all the sugar is blended in.
- Pour over top of the nearly cooled chocolate cake.
Notes
I used Silk Coconut Milk and Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine today. See my posts of dairy-free milk alternatives and dairy-free butter alternatives if you need ideas.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
looks delightful and simple ingredients:) it's the first thing we'll be making if zucchini come our way. And definitely an inspiration to grow some next year:)
Delicious! Just made this with my twin 3 yr old boys and we all give it a super thumbs up! Yummy!
I made this for a family party. Everyone (including the zucchini-haters) loved it.
I can't thank you enough for the awesome recipes you put on here. You are my favorite food allergy blog (our daughters share the same allergies). Next on my list to try – donuts! She has never had a donut. Only watched her older sister eat one 🙁
I just had to update. I made the donuts and they were a HUGE hit. My daughter (and everyone else who tried them) loved them! Thanks again!
Glad the donuts were a hit Stacey! They are perfect for fall with apple cider. I have some chocolate ones with sprinkles that I need to post one of these days as well…
I just stumbled across your blog, it's great. I love new recipes. I have friends who are vegan and I don't always know what to cook when they come over for dinner. Thanks for the new ideas.
This was an AMAZING cake! I subbed olive oil ’cause it’s what I had, cut the sugar by 1/4 cup ’cause it’s all I had, and never bothered to frost it ’cause well I didn’t have any powdered sugar.
Nevertheless, it was so darn good! I ATE like 4 pieces a day! I think layered with frosting would take it from amazing to decadent! Thanks for a great recipe. I love to bake for my son’s preschool class and make something totally yummy with veggies.
My family loved this cake. I decided to turn it into a zucchini gingerbread and it worked very well. I omitted the cocoa, replaced 3/4 cup of the sugar with dark molasses, changed the spices to 1 tsp. each of cinnamon, ginger and cloves and replaced the chocolate chips with 1/2 cup soft diced ginger (from King Arthur Flour store). I combined the zucchini and diced ginger and then had to drain a bit of liquid before I added them to the combined wet and dry ingredients mixture. I posted the revised recipe at King Arthur Flour and gave you credit for the original recipe.
Wow! That sounds awesome!
great cake. thanks for the recipe. my husband is a vegan – and this works perfectly for us. thanks for the post! i used honey in place of sugar to sweeten the cake and it turned out wonderful.
Awesome idea!
Wonderful! I keep making this cake! Only used 1/2 sugar and it still was super yummy! Thank you for sharing!!
Good to know on the sugar, it’s always nice to hear back on little tweaks that work!
I’m in the uk, can you tell me weight of margarine as we don’t have sticks. Thank you
Hi Mel, a stick of margarine is 1/4 pound, or 4 ounces, or 113.4 grams! Good luck on the recipe!
I made this tonight – absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe! My two year old as well as his grandpa loved it.
Hi! When you say flour, is that plain or self raising?
Just plain white flour!
How would I make this with gluten free? Is it as simple as substituting the flour? (ie white rice) I make this decadent recipe quite often, but a friend of mine just found out she is allergic to gluten as her birthday is coming up, so I want to make the cake so she can enjoy it (of course lol). Thank you very much for helping me out. I love alot of your recipes, but this one is such a hit with everyone I have shared it with. Have a wonderful day!
Would you say a stick of dairy-free margarine is equal to about 1/2 cup? In New Zealand they don’t sell sticks of butter/margarine.
Made this yesterday….delish! I put half the sugar and oil and a bit more zucchini as I had it! Also, I used half icing sugar for frosting! Turned out yummy! Thanks! A make again!