Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This chocolate zucchini cake is literally heaven. While I am a lover of all types of squash, I am 100% okay with the fact that you cannot taste the zucchini in this cake. What does the wonderful vegetable provide besides oodles of vitamins? It helps keep this cake ridiculously moist. Yes, there is a hint of zucchini flavor, but the rich flavor of the dark cocoa overpowers it by a mile. Although this cake is scrumptious on its own, the added matcha glaze gives it a little something extra. Matcha may be my new obsession, but as I have clearly stated before, chocolate + matcha are true loves!

Growing up, chocolate zucchini cake was one of the many desserts that was always in the house. As was plain zucchini cake, zucchini bread, all things zucchini....so it is truly something I have been eating for many years. When I was younger, telling my friends "ooh my mom made this amazing cake with zucchini in it!!" was not exactly the way to excite them after school, but I guess it just meant more cake for me, right?

As I hope most everyone adores the chocolate family, I would like to introduce you to the squash family. Now, I won't push you to try chocolate covered butternut squash, or an acorn squash pot de crème, but this chocolate zucchini cake is out of this world. It's simple, quick, rustic, satisfying and pure chocolate enjoyment. I will quit the chatter and let you get to grating!

ingredients

Butter—6 oz, or 1 ½ sticks

Sugar—14.75 oz, or 2 cups

Eggs—3

Vanilla—9 g, or 2 tsp

Flour—14.3 oz, or 2 ½ cups

Cocoa Powder—1.65 oz, or ½ cup

Baking Powder—0.4 oz, or 2 ½ tsp

Baking Soda—0.25 oz, or 1 ½ tsp

Salt—0.25 oz, or 1 tsp

Cinnamon—0.1 oz, or 1 tsp

Zucchini (grated)—16.5 oz, or 2 cups

Milk—4 oz, or ½ cup

Chocolate Chips—7 oz, or 1 cup

 

process

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.

Once well combined, add in your eggs and vanilla.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix, making sure that all ingredients have been incorporated thus far.

Sift together your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

With the mixer on low, alternate between the dry ingredients and the milk, adding slowly.

Once you have added all of both the dry and milk, turn off the mixer and fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray your bundt pan with nonstick spray.

Pour all of the batter into your pan.

Place on the middle rack in your oven, and bake for 1 hour.

Once fully baked, take out of the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

After about 25 minutes, both the pan and cake should be cool enough so that you can remove the cake from the bundt pan. Now the zucchini cake can continue to cool without the heat of the pan!

When the cake is completely cool, (it will take over an hour) you are ready to make your glaze!

 

glaze ingredients

Confectioner’s Sugar—8.5 oz, or 1 2/3 cup

Milk—4 oz, or ½ cup

Matcha Powder—0.3 oz, or 1 TBL

Vanilla—4.5 g, or 1 tsp

 

process

Start by sifting together the confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder.

Slowly add the milk and vanilla while whisking.

*Note: if you would like a stronger matcha flavor, don’t add any vanilla! If you would like it a bit sweeter, try adding 1 ½ tsp of vanilla instead.*

Pour your glaze over your cake.

To make the least amount of  mess, place the cooling rack over a piece of plastic wrap or foil to catch any drips! When the glaze has hardened a bit, put it on your beautiful serving tray or cake stand.


Bon Appétit!