Chocolate zucchini snack cake is a rich and moist chocolate cake that's made entirely in the bowl of a food processor! This recipe makes an 8x8 cake - perfect for small, snack sized slices.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Moist, tender, chocolatey cake with flecks of melty chocolate chips throughout.
Use a food processor: The cake batter is blended until smooth, so there's no shreds of zucchini in sight!
Pan size: 8x8 square pan
Similar to: Fudgy Zucchini Brownies, Chocolate Zucchini Mug Cake, Chocolate Zucchini Cake
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini - For this recipe, you'll need about one medium zucchini, cubed. This is about 1 ½ cups of cubed zucchini, or 200 grams. If you have shredded zucchini on hand, this will also work - you'll need about 1 ¼ cups of shredded zucchini (including the liquid).
- Wet ingredients - Oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract add flavor and moisture to your cake. Omitting or reducing these ingredients can cause the recipe to turn out dry.
- Dry ingredients - All-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt balance with the wet ingredients and add structure and lift to your snack cake. I haven't tested this recipe with other types of flours, so I can't say how it would turn out with substitutes.
- Chocolate chips - Use your favorite type of chocolate chips. I suggest semi-sweet chocolate chips, or semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. Peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips would all work well in this recipe.
How to make chocolate snack cake
- Add wet ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour into a lined baking pan and optionally, top with more chocolate chips.
- Bake until the center pops back when gently pressed and cake reaches 210F in the middle.
Heather's Top Tip
Use an instant-read thermometer to test the doneness of your cakes and cupcakes. Cake is done when it reaches 210F in the center. This ensures your cake is perfectly baked, not undercooked or dry.
Tips and tricks
Properly measure your flour - Measure your flour using a kitchen scale for accurate results. The most common issue in baking is the improper measuring of dry ingredients, mainly flour. When scooping flour with a measuring cup, the flour compacts into the cup, adding up to 25% extra flour to the recipe. Gram measurements can be found in the recipe card in parenthesis.
Don't overbake your cake - If you've never made this recipe before, I suggest checking on your cake about 5 minutes early. Sometimes, ovens can run hotter than others, meaning your cake may be done earlier. Baking for too long will dry out your cake.
Allow cake to cool - Cool your cake to room temperature before serving. Slicing into a hot cake releases steam, which is the moisture in your cake. This will make your cake dry out prematurely.
Frequently asked questions
No. Zucchini has a neutral flavor, making it the perfect addition to many baked goods. In this recipe, the zucchini is pureed. Pureed zucchini is a smooth liquid, which mixes seamlessly into the batter. This means you won't see (or taste) any zucchini in your finished cake!
No, there's no need to peel your zucchini beforehand. The peel of the zucchini includes fiber and nutrients that you'd lose out on by peeling it off. By pureeing your zucchini in the food processor, the zucchini blends right into the batter. You won't see any bits of peel once your cake is baked.
Chocolate zucchini cake will keep in an airtight storage container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Yes, chocolate zucchini cake freezes well for up to 3-4 months. Wrap tightly or store in an airtight freezer safe container for best results.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1 medium (200 g) zucchini, cubed, about 1 ½ cups
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) vegetable oil
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (85 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a large food processor, add cubed zucchini, eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla extract. Pulse until pureed and smooth.
- Add dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse until just combined (make sure not to blend for too long). Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, or until the center pops back when gently pressed and cake reaches 210F in the center.
- Allow cake to cool completely before slicing and serving. Optionally, dust the top with confectioner's sugar, or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Cake will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 months or more.
- Small food processor? Recipe can be prepared in a food processor or blender. If you have a small food processor, puree the zucchini, then transfer to a bowl and stir the remaining ingredients in with a spoon.
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