Description

An ultra-moist, fudgy chocolate zucchini cake that hides vegetables in a rich, tender crumb. Topped with a glossy dark chocolate ganache, this one-bowl recipe is easy to make, freezes well, and tastes like pure indulgence.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola or light olive oil)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 cups shredded, squeezed dry)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup dark chocolate chips (for ganache)
1 tablespoon butter (optional, for ganache)
Pinch of salt (for ganache)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
Shred zucchini on small holes of a box grater. Place in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze tightly to remove excess moisture. The zucchini should feel damp, not dripping.
In a large bowl, whisk vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, extra yolk, and vanilla extract vigorously for about a minute until smooth and pale.
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix.
Fold in the squeezed zucchini and dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 45-50 minutes. Check at 45 minutes by inserting a toothpick; it should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While cakes cool, heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to simmer. Pour over dark chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
Stir ganache from center outward until smooth and glossy. Stir in butter and pinch of salt. Let cool 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened but pourable.
Pour ganache over cooled cakes. Let set for 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Crucial Step: Squeeze the zucchini thoroughly to remove excess water, otherwise the cake will be gummy. Do not overmix the batter once flour is added to avoid a tough texture. The cake improves overnight and freezes beautifully. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of one
Calories: 380
Sugar: 30
Sodium: 350
Fat: 22
Saturated Fat: 12
Carbohydrates: 45
Fiber: 3
Protein: 5

Keywords: chocolate zucchini cake, moist chocolate cake, zucchini dessert, one bowl cake, ganache cake, gluten-free option, healthy-ish dessert