Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Sneak veggies into everyone's diet when you make this gluten free chocolate zucchini cake recipe. It's so good, no one will know it's gluten free and healthy.
Yield: 1 9-inch cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for appropriate blend info)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch-processed preferred (if using natural, add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (41 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 ¾ cups (170 g) shredded zucchini (from about 2 large or 3 medium zucchini) drained of liquid (See Recipe Notes)
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) neutral oil (vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or peanut oil all work fine)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 9 tablespoons (4.5 fluid ounces) buttermilk at room temperature
- 4 ounces chocolate chunks or chips (optional)
For the fudge frosting
- ⅔ cup (5 ⅓ fluid ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Make the cake.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch square baking pan and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the brown sugar and mix to combine, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar and in the cocoa powder.
- Add the shredded zucchini, and mix to combine until the zucchini is fully coated in the dry ingredients.
- Create a well in the center of the mixture and add the oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. Mix to combine (the mixture will be thick but soft).
- Add the optional chocolate chips, and mix until they're evenly distributed throughout the cake batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.
- Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
- The cake is done when the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center with a finger, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing or frosting it.
Make the fudge frosting (optional).
- Place evaporated milk and sugar in a blender and blend for at least 1 minute, or until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the melted chocolate and butter to the mixture in the blender, and blend for about another 1 minute, or until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
- Store the frosting at room temperature in a sealed container until ready to use.
Serving suggestions
- Spread the fudge frosting on the cooled chocolate zucchini cake, slice into squares with a serrated knife, and serve.
- Alternative serving suggestion: Slice the cooled cake into squares with a serrated knife, and spread frosting on each slice right before serving.
Notes
How to prepare the shredded zucchini.
To drain zucchini of its moisture, shred it on a standard-size box grater, then place it in a tea towel, wrap the towel around the zucchini, and squeeze with your hands until the zucchini is no longer wet to the touch and forms clumps.
You can prepare the zucchini about 1 week ahead of time, and store it in a well-sealed zip top bag in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before baking with it.
How much zucchini you will need.
You'll begin with about 300 grams of shredded fresh zucchini, but the important thing is that your cake have 170 grams of drained zucchini. Some zucchini begins with more moisture, so you'll need to begin with more zucchini to get 170 grams of it fully drained of moisture.
Fudge frosting recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
Originally published on the blog in 2013. In 2022, recipe simplified and cake made more tender; fudge frosting new; photos, video and text mostly new.