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Home » Desserts

Decadent Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Published: Jan 31, 2020 · Modified: Sep 22, 2020 by Janelle Hama

Jump to Recipe

Kids won’t eat veggies? No problem, this decadent Chocolate Cake is packed with zucchini. I promise they won’t be able to tell. In fact, my teenage son and mother couldn't even tell and didn't believe me when I told them I grated zucchini into the cake.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Slice on a white plate with chocolate shavings as garnish on scattered on plate

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Jump to:
  • Why you should make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake?
  • Tips for making this Zucchini Chocolate Cake
  • Decadent Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Why you should make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake?

  • It's healthier than traditional chocolate cake
  • It has vegetable in it - go on trick your kids!
  • There's no butter or eggs - this was replaced with plant based spread, apple sauce and aquafaba (What is aquafaba? It's the juice from chickpeas, seriously this juice is a miracle - so many uses for it, e.g., Vegan Meringue With Rose Water or here are some other ideas for aquafaba recipes)
  • It's seriously moist, it's hard to resist not eating more than you should
Whole chocolate zucchini cake on a white plate

Tips for making this Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Use the dark green zucchini variety

Grate zucchini fine to medium (this way the zucchini is hidden in the cake)

Swap out olive oil with coconut oil if you prefer

I used a bundt cake tin with a 21cm diameter

Don't touch the sides of the cake tin when pouring in the batter, the cake won't rise evenly if you do

Store cake in the fridge if any is left over

Here's another couple of vegan chocolate desserts to try Chocolate Peanut Brownie Bites or this mouthwatering chocolate pretzel slice or this quick rice cake with peanut butter and chocolate.

Otherwise, try this super easy 3 Ingredient Mug Cake made with instant packet and no egg.

a slice of moist brown cake with chocolate icing and shavings

Decadent Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake

A decadent chocolate cake that is jam packed with zucchini, a vegan friendly recipe
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian
Diet: Vegan
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Author: Janelle Hama

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Plain flour
  • ¾ cup Cocoa Powder
  • 1 cup Brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon Salt
  • 2 cups Green zucchini

    Shredded
  • ⅓ cup Aquafaba
    chickpea juice
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
  • ½ cup Apple sauce

  • ¼ cup Chocolate shavings for garnish (plantbased of course)

Chocolate Frosting

  • 4 cups Icing sugar
  • ¾ cup Cocoa powder
  • ½ cup Vegan butter
    room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon Apple sauce
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Metric - US Customary
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • Grate zucchini and set aside
  • In a bowl mix flour and cocoa powered together
  • Mix in remaining dry ingredients and create a well
  • Add all wet ingredients into the well and mix through until cake batter forms
  • In an oiled cake bundt tin, pour in cake batter.
  • Bake in an oven for about 45min. This may depend on your oven, so check in on the cake at the 30min mark with a fork by stick in the fork into the cake and if it comes out with batter or gooey cake you know its not ready.
  • Once cake is baked, allow it to sit for 10 min before placing it onto cooling rack. This will ensure cake doesn't crack
  • Once on cooling rack allow it to cool down to room temperature before applying frosting. Otherwise frosting will melt.
  • Garnish with chocolate shavings
  • Using a spatula, spread on chocolate frosting

Chocolate Frosting

  • In a bowl sift in icing sugar & cocoa powder, then combine
  • Add in wet ingredients and whip together until it the consistency is thick enough to place onto the cake.

Notes

Tip, don’t touch the sides whilst pouring into cake tin otherwise when the cake is rising it will be lopsided.

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Cake Bundt Tin

Nutrition

Calories: 5153kcal | Carbohydrates: 1019g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 127g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 4752mg | Potassium: 3599mg | Fiber: 60g | Sugar: 729g | Vitamin A: 5077IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 497mg | Iron: 37mg

N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.

Tried this recipe?Mention @Plantbasedfolk or tag #plantbasedfolk

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Miriam

    February 26, 2022 at 9:14 pm

    4 stars
    This was my first attempt baking with aquafaba. I used coconut sugar & decreased the amount to 3/4 of a cup, and used white & spelt flour. I also added soy carob chips at the end. Next time I would stick to the full amount of sugar & omit the carob.

    Reply
  2. Anjali

    August 06, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    5 stars
    I love how this cake is secretly healthy in so many ways! I've never used aquafaba in baking before but this recipe has inspired me to give it a try!

    Reply
  3. Emmeline

    August 06, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    5 stars
    Haha I love this idea for getting your kids to eat veggies! Looks deliciously decadent so who would ever know??

    Reply
  4. Christian Guzman

    August 06, 2020 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Oh, my goodness YUM! I'm so glad I found this recipe at just the right time. I just picked some zucchini out of the garden and will be making this right away. Thank you!

    Reply
  5. Peter

    August 06, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    5 stars
    I’m so used to banana bread and zucchini bread, but never see a recipe for zucchini cake. Such a unique twist. I love it. Fantastic. And I lOOOOOVE that you use chickpea liquid!! It’s amazing how easy it is to whip and use in recipes like this. This really is a truly unique twist and I love this so much.

    Reply
  6. Alexandra

    August 06, 2020 at 11:39 am

    5 stars
    We love hidden veggie recipes - they make it so much easier to get the kids to eat their greens! This is a great recipe!

    Reply
  7. Maren Chocolate Bon Bons

    June 16, 2020 at 12:07 am

    5 stars
    love this cake!

    Reply

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Heya, I'm Janelle! I've been a messy but delicious cook for a couple of decades now.

In the last few years, I've converted to a vegan diet and have fallen in love with the flavors that can be created from plants.

I specialize in vegan Lebanese food and I'm excited to share these amazing recipes with you.

Let's cook together!

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