Tried and true Moist Chocolate Zucchini Cake made with shredded zucchini, orange zest, pecans and a frosting.
My grandmother taught me to bake when I was very young, and later, when I was in high school, she sent us a recipe for chocolate and zucchini pies from Sunset Magazine.
Being adventurous and knowing how good zucchini bread tastes, I gave it a try and it quickly became my favorite – the standard by which all future chocolate cakes will be judged.
The main difference of the chocolate zucchini cake is its moisture. The zucchini absorbs the cocoa while delivering the full flavor of chocolate but without the heaviness of some other chocolate cakes.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
ingredients
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2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
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1/2 cup natural, unsweetened cocoa
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2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
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1 teaspoon of salt
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1 teaspoon of cinnamon
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3/4 cup softened butter
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1 cup white granulated sugar
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1 cup brown sugar
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3 eggs, room temperature
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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2 teaspoons grated orange zest
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3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini (from about 1 pound zucchini or 3 medium zucchini)
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1/2 cup milk
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1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
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glaze (instructions follow)
- Glaze:
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2 cups powdered sugar
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3 tbsp milk
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
special equipment
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10-inch bundt pan or tube pan
method
Preheat the oven to 175°C.
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Drain the grated zucchini
Drain the grated zucchini in a colander over a bowl. If moisture isn’t draining away and the zucchini feels dry to the touch, sprinkle some water over it and let the excess drain.
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Whisk together dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
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Mix wet ingredients
Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange zest, and zucchini.
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Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients to make a dough
Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, adding the nuts to the last addition.
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Prepare pan, add batter
Lightly spray (or grease with butter) the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. Wipe off the excess. Pour in the batter and use a rubber spatula to level the top of the batter.
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Bake
Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 50-55 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean (test at 45 minutes).
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
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make glaze
Make the icing by mixing the icing ingredients together. This can easily be done by hand with a whisk or a spoon. If the glaze is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.
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Drizzle the glaze over the cake
Cut into thin slices to serve.
* The original recipe in Sunset Magazine called for 2 cups of white sugar instead of half white half brown and 2 cups of zucchini instead of 3.
Links:
Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe by Clotilde – for a different twist on the chocolate zucchini cake.
