Though time was not something I had much of this Summer, my garden was surprisingly prolific. We are still picking tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber and green beans halfway through October! I won’t mask my feelings of shock. My garden pretty much went untended and we still had a bountiful harvest.
I’ve been making chocolate zucchini brownies and chocolate zucchini cake since the 1990s, after I was introduced to the amazing combination of zucchini and chocolate when I was on a trip to Victoria, B.C.
Now, chocolate zucchini cakes, muffins, bread, and brownies are common, but back then, many scoffed at the combination, thinking it to be odd. The zucchini is pretty much tasteless, so it doesn’t taste “weird” (yes, someone who had never tried it said it was “weird” because vegetables “do not belong in baked goods”). Also, the zucchini helps make the cake very moist. My six year old LOVES chocolate zucchini cake. We’re always experimenting, but this is the chocolate zucchini cake recipe she loves most.
- ½ c butter
- ½ c vegetable oil
- 1 c sugar
- 2 eggs (I use eggs from our farm)
- ½ c milk
- 1 tsp vanilla (I use my homemade vanilla)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup cocoa
- 2½ c all-purpose flour
- 2 c zucchini, grated
- 1 c bittersweet dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease 9 x 13 baking dish (with butter)
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and oil. Mix until smooth.
- Reserve ¼ of the chocolate chips and set aside for later. Add remaining ingredients.
- Pour batter into baking dish. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over batter.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. If you want it a little more on the ooey-gooey side, bake for 50 minutes.
My veggie loving six year old daughter loves this cake. My chocolate loving husband loves this cake. There’s something for everyone with this recipe! Win-Win!
What to do with zucchini coming out of our ears?
- Zucchini Fritters – Two Ways
- Savoury Zucchini Bake
- Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
- Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
- Zucchini Marmalade
My son has special needs & eats zero vegetables. I am always on the lookout for recipes like these where the veggies are totally hidden in foods he will enjoy. This one is great; he likes chocolate! I hope he eats it!
This cake looks amazing. I love all the other Zucchini recipes, too. Yum.
I really thought it would look a whole lot greener!! Thanks for sharing. =) Looks super delish!
I tried your recipe today. It turned out great and the family approves accept for my pickiest eater. No, I did not tell the kids that there was zucchini in it.
These look delish and a great way to get some more veggies in your kidlets!
Thanks, Anne! Yes! Love the fact that there’s lots of zucchini in this recipe!! Little One LOVES zucchini, but for kids who aren’t veggie eaters, I guess this is one way to get them to eat their veggies! 🙂