Volante Farms Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Chocolate Courgette Cake)
This unfussy, spectacularly good cake is a great way to use up an abundance of zucchini and eat chocolate cake at the same time.
Servings: 12
Calories: 519kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cups (400 grams) grated zucchini
- 2 ⅔ cups (526 grams) sugar, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (237 ml) safflower or other neutral-tasting vegetable oil
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (135 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack in the center. Butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan (I have one like this, or try one of these) with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper and butter or spray that too.
- In a strainer, toss zucchini with 1 cup of the sugar and let sit for 10 minutes to drain. Use your hands to squeeze out all the liquid you can.
- In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a fork, then beat in zucchini and oil.
- Sprinkle in the flour, remaining 1 ⅔ cups sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Use the fork to stir the dry ingredients together a bit and then incorporate into the wet ingredients, mixing gently until well combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the center doesn't jiggle and a tester comes out clean unless you hit a chocolate chip.
- Cool in pan on a rack for at least 40 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Adapted from the Volante Farms Cookbook.
- Some of the sugar from the cup that you mix with the zucchini will inevitably fall through the strainer. Don't worry about it.
- Occasionally, when removed from the oven after 50 minutes, this cake falls a bit in the middle. It's meant to be rustic and still looks beautiful, so I don't mind it. You can bake it longer to ensure that won't happen.
- Make this cake up to 24 hours in advance.
- Keep any leftovers covered on the counter for several days.
Nutrition
Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 73.7g | Protein: 6.6g | Fat: 24.8g | Fiber: 3.6g