Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/4/21
easy chocolate zucchini cake

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
784 Calories
63g Fat
43g Carbs
14g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 784
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 63g 81%
Saturated Fat 32g 158%
Cholesterol 164mg 55%
Sodium 71mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 16%
Dietary Fiber 10g 36%
Protein 14g
Calcium 131mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This zucchini cake will please even the most adamant zucchini-haters. Shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts go into this easy cake mix Bundt cake. The zucchini cake is moist enough to enjoy without the chocolate glaze. If you don't want to glaze it, just sift some powdered sugar over it or serve it with a scoop of ice cream. 

If you don't care for chopped nuts, feel free to omit them. Or replace the nuts with some flaked coconut or toffee chips. The cinnamon pairs nicely with the chocolate, but feel free to leave the cinnamon out if you like your chocolate pure and unadulterated.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (softened)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cake mix (chocolate fudge, with pudding in the mix, about 15.25 ounces)
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
  • 1 medium zucchini (shredded, about 1 1/2 cups shredded)
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet)
  • 1 cup pecans (chopped, or walnuts)
  • For the Chocolate Glaze:
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons boiling water
  • Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat oven to 325 F for a dark-colored pan or to 350 F for a light-colored pan.

  2. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan or 10-inch one-piece tube cake pan. 

  3. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the 1/2 cup of softened butter until light and creamy.

  4. Add the eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the almond extract; blend well.

  5. Add the sour cream and cinnamon, if using; blend well. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the cake mix. Continue beating until the batter is smooth and well blended.

  6. Fold in the shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.

  7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.

  8. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes.

  9. Invert the cake onto a serving plate to cool completely. Drizzle the cake with the chocolate glaze (recipe below) or dust it with sifted powdered sugar.

Make the Chocolate Glaze

  1. Put the unsweetened chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and place it over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chocolate and butter have melted.

  2. Sift the powdered sugar and add it to the chocolate mixture along with 2 tablespoons of boiling water. While stirring constantly, continue adding boiling water in very small amounts until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle over the cake. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, if desired.

  3. Drizzle the warm glaze over a cooled or slightly warm cake.

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