Zucchini recipes are everywhere I look. Savory and sweet, dessert and appetizers. At first I wasn’t going to post a recipe because, well, the recipes are everywhere! But then I remembered baking a chocolate zucchini bread years ago and decided to give it a go.
I started out with my old zucchini bread recipe baked in a loaf pan, then I spotted these cute bundt pans in the cupboard and changed my mind to baking a chocolate zucchini cake. Two baby bundt cakes. My old zucchini bread recipe needed updating so I found a cake recipe on my favorite baking site, King Arthur Flour. I made a few minor changes, decreasing the sugar and increasing the vanilla. I also used brown sugar and white granulated sugar in this recipe. I decided to finish the cake with a favorite of mine, browned butter frosting. It will have you licking the spoon. More than once. ?
I used 6-cup bundt cake pans, sprayed with a non-stick spray with flour for this easy chocolate zucchini cake recipe. I call these pans “baby cakes”, a perfect size for a few servings. I hate having cake leftover for more than a day as the excitement for cake seems to wane after the first piece has been cut. But this cake stayed fresh even the second day we had it sitting on the counter wrapped in a light plastic wrap. I ate it for breakfast the next morning and it was gone.
You can barely see the pieces of shredded zucchini here, but they add so much to the texture of this delicious cake! I added a handful of premium chocolate chips to the batter for an extra boost of chocolate, but this step isn’t necessary. Especially if you decide to include the ultra-delicious, eat it out of the bowl by the spoonful, browned-butter frosting! I haven’t made this frosting in a long time, but with fall coming, I was thinking of baking buttery pecan cookies with this same icing, so I thought why not try it today?
Your kitchen will smell heavenly while baking this cake and frosting. The browned butter icing is easy to mix up in a saucepan and uses only a few ingredients; powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. One of my absolute favorites!
The good news is that I saved one of the cakes, wrapped in foil and froze it for later. I also managed to stop eating the frosting from the bowl and save enough in a plastic container kept in the fridge for the second cake. I love getting two desserts from one bake. But you could just as easily bake one larger cake with this recipe. If you use a 12 cup bundt cake pan, bake longer for 45 to 50 minutes. You can also bake this cake in a 9×13 pan for 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a sharp knife in the center of the cake comes out clean.
I’ve seen recipes that recommend drying the zucchini with a paper towel to remove some of the moisture. It would depend on your zucchini and how you shred or chop it. I did not dry the zucchini in this recipe and the cake was perfectly moist and baked up just fine. But if your zucchini seems to have a lot of liquid, this may be necessary or you may need to lengthen your baking time. Also, I used 2 3/4 cup shredded zucchini, for me it weighed one pound, it was an average sized zucchini.
I hope you enjoy this delicious double chocolate zucchini cake with it’s browned-butter frosting. If you try the recipe, tag #countrycupboardcookies on instagram so we can see your results!
Hoping you are enjoying the last weeks of summer. My favorite baking season, Fall, is coming soon! And though I am trying to push the thoughts away, I’m starting to daydream about a Christmas Cookie list. ?
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
- 3½ ounces canola oil (1/2 cup)
- 7 ounces white granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 3½ ounces brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla
- 4 ounces plain greek yogurt (1/2 cup ), I used FAGE greek strained yogurt ( you can sub sour cream)
- 10½ ounces all purpose flour (2½ cups)
- 2 ounces dutch unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pound shredded zucchini ( 2½ - 3 cups ) I used one average zucchini
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips ( 1 cup ) If using 2 smaller bundt pans, use half on each cake
- 4 ounces butter ( ½ cup or one stick)
- 12 ounces powdered sugar (3 cups)
- 6 TBL milk or light cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour or use a non-stick spray on 2 small bundt pans (6 cups) or use one 9x13 pan or 1 large (12 cup) bundt pan
- In large mixing bowl, blend melted butter, oil, white and brown sugar.
- Add eggs with vanilla and blend.
- Mix dry ingredients together including flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet mixture alternating with yogurt until blended. Don't over mix.
- Fold in shredded or chopped up zucchini. (no need to peel zucchini, just wash prior to shredding)
- Divide batter between your 2 pans. You can eyeball it or if you have a scale, weigh the pans to get equal amounts.
- Top with the semi-sweet chocolate chips. ( use half per cake)
- Bake cakes in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Cool on rack 15 to 20 minutes, then remove to finish cooling on serving platter.
- Frost with Browned butter frosting if desired.
- Instructions for frosting:
- Using a small saucepan, cook butter on medium low heat for 4 to 6 minutes until it starts to brown. The melted butter will foam and bubble, watch carefully for the browning on the bottom to occur.
- Then remove from heat, cool for about 5 minutes and pour over confectioner's sugar in a mixing bowl. Add milk and vanilla and beat until spreading consistency. Add more or less milk depending on how thick you want your frosting.
- Recipe Source: Country Cupboard Cookies adapted from King Arthur Flour
If you stick a sharp knife in the middle of the cake, it should come out clean. Adjust times as needed as baking time may vary due to differences in zucchini moisture.
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