This Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake is tender, rich, and full of chocolate flavor. The three cups of zucchini add lots of moisture, but only you will know there’s healthy squash in the recipe.
There’s nothing fancy about this chocolate zucchini cake. It’s a simple, one-layer cake that's easy to make and doesn’t require any special equipment.
The combination of butter, oil, sour cream, and grated zucchini make a moist and buttery cake. And the cocoa powder and chocolate chips add a deep chocolate richness.
It's easy preparation and tasty chocolate flavor make this zucchini cake recipe one your friends and family will enjoy.
If you like this zucchini cake, you’ll also like these zucchini brownies. And, if you like zucchini without chocolate, you’ll want to try my zucchini muffins and my zucchini bread.
(This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.)Why this Recipe Works
- The moisture from the zucchini gives the cake a soft and tender texture.
- Using both cocoa powder and chocolate chips gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor.
- The combination of oil and butter adds moisture and a buttery taste to the cake.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Butter - I always use unsalted butter when baking. Unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Vegetable oil - You can substitute canola oil if you prefer.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar.
- Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract.
- Baking soda and baking powder - Most cake recipes tend to use one or the other, but in this case I use both. The combination of baking soda and baking powder gives the cake batter a boost.
- Salt - Table salt.
- Eggs - Use room temperature eggs. I take the eggs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before I’m going to use them.
- Sour cream - The sour cream should be at room temperature, so take it out along with the eggs about 30 minutes before use. Sour cream adds moisture to the cake without thinning the batter, and the acidity activates the baking soda.
- Gluten free flour blend - I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. If your local store doesn’t carry Bob’s Red Mill, you can find it online at Amazon and Thrive Market. I haven’t tried the recipe with almond or coconut flour.
- Cocoa - Unsweetened cocoa powder. I use Hershey’s cocoa powder.
- Grated zucchini - There’s no need to drain the zucchini.
- Chocolate chips - I use semi-sweet chips
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Beat together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then beat in the eggs.
- Stir in flour then sour cream to combine.
- Add cocoa powder and stir until smooth.
- Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips and transfer batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle the top with chocolate chips, and return to the oven.
- Continue baking for 5 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove cake and spread melted chocolate with a rubber spatula.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until smooth.
Add the eggs to the butter mixture and beat until completely combined.
Stir in ½ the flour, then add ½ the sour cream and stir to combine. Stir in the rest of the flour, then add the remaining sour cream and stir to combine.
Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth.
Fold in the grated zucchini and ½ cup of the chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake seems set.
Remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top, and return to the oven.
Continue baking another 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate chips into a smooth icing.
Cool the cake, on a wire rack, before slicing and serving.
Baker’s Tips
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour blend for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain xanthan gum, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe.
- Use room temperature eggs and sour cream. Ingredients at room temperature will mix more easily into the batter.
- The zucchini should be grated but not drained. Many baking recipes call for squeezing the excess water out of the zucchini, but in this case the water adds moisture to the cake.
Recipe FAQs
There’s no need to remove the peel from the zucchini. The skin is thin and tender and contains most of the nutritional value of the zucchini. Be sure to thoroughly wash the zucchini skin to remove any dirt or pesticides before using.
Store the cake, covered, for up to 2 days on your kitchen counter. If you need to store it longer, consider freezing the leftover cake.
Simply wrap individual slices of cake in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag. Store the slices in the freezer for up to 2 months.
This easy recipe for chocolate zucchini cake makes a tender and chocolatey cake. With the zucchini making the cake a little healthier, feel free to enjoy it for breakfast or dessert.
Share the cake with friends and family and no one will guess it’s gluten free. Enjoy!
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, don't forget to leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I really enjoy hearing from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of the delicious food I'm making!
Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups grated zucchini
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat until smooth.
- Add the eggs and beat until completely combined.
- Stir in ½ the flour, then add ½ the sour cream and stir to combine. Stir in the rest of the flour, then add the remaining sour cream and stir to combine.
- Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth.
- Fold in the zucchini and ½ cup chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake seems set.
- Remove the cake from the oven, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top, and return to the oven.
- Continue baking another 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate chips into a smooth icing.
- Cool the cake completely, on a wire rack, before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Check the ingredients of your gluten free flour blend for xanthan gum. If your flour mix doesn’t contain xanthan gum, try adding ½ teaspoon to the recipe.
- Use room temperature eggs and sour cream. Ingredients at room temperature will mix more easily into the batter.
- The zucchini should be grated but not drained. Many baking recipes call for squeezing the excess water out of the zucchini, but in this case the water adds moisture to the cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on products and brands you use. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the ingredients you are using with your preferred nutrition calculator.
This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Baking.
Leave a Reply