The Most Decadent Chocolate Zucchini Cake (it's delicious, gluten + dairy free too!)
When the garden gives you zucchini monsters then you must make the most decadent chocolate zucchini cake in response. Go ahead garden, give us your biggest toughest zucchini and I’ll make it into a cake that everyone will be requesting all year long. It’s soft and springy, rich and just a bit gooey with a hint of cinnamon and I dare to say that no one will even know there is zucchini hidden in there! We loved it so much we made a second cake the day we ate the last slice of the first one, it’s that good.
Let’s bake up some delicious-fresh-from-the-garden Zucchini cake with a big thank you to Sharyl Rapavy for sharing the original recipe with me which inspired me to give it a twist for all of our gluten and dairy free friends. Here’s the best news, whether you’re baking it with all of the gluten and dairy or you’re swapping it out I’ve listed exactly what I used to create this springy soft cake! Scroll on down to the bottom of the recipe for all of my dairy free + gluten free tips for finding the ingredients and baking this recipe.
click the picture to see how delicious and ooey gooey it is!
Zucchini Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
2 cups finely diced zucchini, take the BIG one, peel it, shred it and the chop it up even finer. Let it sit in a strainer while you prepare the rest of the batter to strain out excess liquid
1/2 cup 2% milk or your favorite non dairy milk, with 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar mixed in. Set aside for 5 min
1/2 cup butter or vegan butter , room temperature
1/2 vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour OR 2 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour, plus 1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup chocolate chips or dairy free chocolate chips
Glaze:
1 cup chocolate chips or dairy free chocolate chips
1 cup 2% milk, or non dairy milk
chili powder to dust the top
Instructions :
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Prep your bundt pan by coating it evenly with cooking spray then dusting the inside with flour (or gluten free flour).
Peel and finely grate your zucchini. I discard the middle, like you would a squash. Once it is grated, chop it up into even finer pieces. This makes it blend into the cake secretly, plus it adds to the soft rich texture. Once you’ve chopped it up place it in a large strainer and let it strain while you prepare the rest of the batter.
**you can do this step ahead of time and let it strain in the fridge over night or for a couple days. This recipe works well with frozen zucchini as well. Just make sure to let the excess moisture strain out before incorporating into the batter.
Next, mix your milk with the vinegar and set it aside for at least 5 minutes. You’re making sour milk! It will get bubbly as it sits. You want to give it at least 5 minutes so the vinegar has time to sour the milk and get fully incorporated into the flavor. This adds to the richness of the cake!
Now, in a large mixing bowl beat your butter, oil, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Sift in your cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder and mix until incorporated. Add in your spicies and salt, mix for 1 minute, then add in the soured milk and flour and mix until fully combined. Now it’s time for the Zucchini and chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly then transfer the batter into your prepared bundt pan.
Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes. You want a toothpick or knife to come out clean. Depending on how much moisture is still in your zucchini, it may take a bit longer for the cake to bake. Just keep baking until that knife comes out clean.
Allow it to cool in the pan, then place a plate on top of the bundt pan, flip the pan over and let the cake ‘fall’ onto the plate.
Now that your cake is on the serving plate, you can make the glaze.
Add the chocolate chips and milk into a medium saucepan. Over low heat stir until fully combined. If the glaze is still too thick to drizzle over the top of the cake, add another tablespoon + of milk until it’s a drizzling consistency.
Once the chocholate glaze is set - dust the top with chili powder for a little added flavor kick.
Gluten + Dairy Free Tips!
In the world of Gluten and Diary free baking I am continually in experimenting mode, trying different flour mixtures and vegan butters. For this recipe, here’s the combination I found works the best!
Subbing out the Flour :
Use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour. It has a great blend of ‘flours’ that give this recipe a good consistency. But the secret to the cake’s fluffyness is the Glutinous Rice Flour. Rice Flour makes it so very soft, with none of the sandy gluten free texture. But beware, you only need 1/2 of the rice flour. I baked one of these with more rice flour and it was much too ooey gooey. Learn from me, use the rice flour for only 1/2 cup and it will be soft cake perfection!
Subbing out the Milk :
Hemp milk has become my dairy free milk go to. Because so many of our guests and friends have other allergies to soy and nuts, I’ve found that Hemp milk remains ultra safe for everyone. Plus it doesn’t give off any oat or coconut flavor like those milks do. But, truly you could use any dairy free milk option you love!
Subbing out the Butter :
Check your local grocery store butter section for vegan butter. This is not margarine ;) it’s typically a blend of vegetable oils. I opt for vegan butter over margarine because it is better for you, it’s not hydrogenated and really does a pretty fantastic job taking the place of butter. For baking purposes I like to find an option that is packaged like butter is, so you can easily take one stick for 1/2 cup instead of having to scrape it out of a tub to measure.
If you make this, tag me @kellywelk on instagram!
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Now tie that apron on and have the happiest of garden fresh baking times! - Kelly
