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piece of three layer chocolate zucchini cake, frosted with cream cheese on a white plate with two zucchinis in the background
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5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is moist, delicious, and the perfect flavor combinations. With the delicious cream cheese frosting, this zucchini cake is going to be a new favorite.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: zucchini cake, zucchini recipe
Servings: 10 pieces
Calories: 776kcal
Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 tsps baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsps cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 4 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 pound zucchini grated finely (about three medium zucchini)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 9 inch round cake pans by cutting a circle of parchment paper for the bottom, and spraying the edges. Set aside. (See directions in the post for making this into a sheet cake.)
  • Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
  • Whisk the eggs and sugars together in a large bowl until the sugars are just about dissolved. Now add the oil about a half a cup at a time and whisk in until it’s combined.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture. Stir in the zucchini (Learn more about zucchini in baking in the post). Pour into the cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
  • Beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Beat until smooth. (Learn more about making cream cheese frosting in the post.)
  • When assembling the cake, add about 3/4 cup of frosting to the top of the first cake layer, spreading it out evenly. Top it with the second layer and add another 3/4 cup of frosting to that layer. Add the final layer and then spread the remaining frosting out over the whole cake. Slice and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 776kcal | Carbohydrates: 124g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 96g