Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This vegan chocolate zucchini cake is perfectly soft, fudgy and decadent! The zucchini adds incredible moisture without a hint of vegetable flavor. This cake is an unapologetic dessert that makes eating your greens totally indulgent!
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose plain flour spoon and leveled (note 1)
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (65g) dutch-process cocoa powder (note 2)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
- Pinch of salt optional
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup (240g) dairy-free milk room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (190g) coarsely shredded zucchini (around 1 medium large zucchini)
- ½ cup (110g) neutral flavored oil
- ⅓ cup (75g) dairy-free yogurt room temperature (note 3 for alternatives)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Chocolate Ganache Frosting (Optional)
- 1 cup (200g or 7-ounce) roughly chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1 cup (230g or 8-ounce) dairy-free cream or canned coconut cream (thick part only, note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the cake:
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir until very well combined. Add all the wet ingredients, including the zucchini, and stir until combined. Some lumps are fine, but make sure there are no streaks of flour or wet ingredients.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake the cake for 48-53 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine).
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack.
Make the chocolate ganache (optional):
- Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes to soften the chocolate.
- Stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth ganache. Let the ganache cool at room temperature for around 1 hour or until it's a spreadable consistency. You can also let it set in the refrigerator , but it won't set evenly.
- Once the ganache has cooled, use it as is or beat it with an electric mixer to make it lighter and fluffier. When your cake has fully cooled, top with the ganache.
- Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Measure your flour accurately: For the best results, use the spoon and level method where you fluff up the flour in the container, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I don't recommend using the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container as too much flour will result in dry and dense bread. Alternatively, use the grams measurements.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder results in a richer chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa powder will work but your cake will have a milder chocolate flavor.
- Instead of yogurt, you can use the same amount of applesauce or mashed banana. Alternatively, you can use mix two tablespoons of ground flax seeds with six tablespoons of water and mix it with the wet ingredients. If you're in a pinch, you can skip this altogether, but your cake will be more crumbly.
- Coconut cream results in a thicker ganache so you may want to add an extra dash of milk or cream for a more spreadable frosting.