It’s zucchini time, and with the harvest from the summer here, there is no better time than the present to make a Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
This Zucchini Cake happens to be dairy-free and egg-free, along with being made from 100% whole wheat flour. But when you taste it, you wouldn’t even know the difference!!
Now I usually like to make a recipe at least a few times before sharing it, but I couldn’t wait to share this chocolate zucchini cake with you even though I’ve only made it once (I am sure that will change really soon). And it’s not just because it’s zucchini season, but I wanted to share it pronto since this chocolate cake is so moist and tasty, and I simply can’t get it out of my mind. This is a strange thing because I don’t consider myself a cake person, per se. I’d much rather eat a brownie than a piece of cake, but I tell you, this cake is amazing! But don’t trust me; try it for yourself.
Seriously, with the abundance of zucchini in the last 4 days, not only have we made this chocolate zucchini cake, but we have also made Double Chocolate Yogurt Zucchini Bread that I adapted to be dairy-free, zucchini pizza that was gluten-free inspired by my neighbor, Roasted Zucchini and Vegetables, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies, and Zucchini Meatballs, and last week we made a healthified zucchini bread. Plus we still have more zucchini left.
Anyone else in the same boat and swimming in zucchini? I need to freeze some of the zucchini in 2 cup portions so the zucchini will be easy to thaw for all of these fun recipes. And I still want to try zucchini brownies. Honestly, I love having the abundance. I find that it gives me purpose as to what I cook and bake, and it gives me the need be creative with meals or suffer from boredom along with wasting precious God-given abundance.
So grab some coffee or your favorite kind of milk and ice cream, and enjoy a piece of some Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Cake. It’s so good, it doesn’t even need frosting. Seriously! This recipe is adapted from Posed Perfection. Updated 8/14.
Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Dairy-free, Egg-free
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/2 cup almond milk with 1 T of lemon juice to sour the milk Add up to an additional 1/2 cup milk to make more pourable depending on how dry the whole wheat flour makes it.
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 T cocoa powder
- 1/2 t baking powder
- 1 t baking soda
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t cloves
- 2 cups shredded zucchini (the larger the flakes, the more coconut-like it seems)
- optional 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- optional 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
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Cream coconut oil and organic sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
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Add vanilla and soured almond milk.
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Combine all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl: flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.
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Add the coconut oil mixture to the dry ingredients.
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Add zucchini, and stir until just combined.
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Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
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If adding the chocolate chips and pecans, sprinkle evenly over the top.
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Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Store in an airtight container for up to three days.
Go here for more zucchini recipe ideas.
This cake looks so delicious!!! But…I need to eat gluten free. Do you think I could substitute all purpose gluten free baking flour for the whole wheat flour? Or, my favorite GF flour is almond flour. What do you think this would be like using almond flour to replace the whole wheat flour?
Thank you!
I would think the GF flour mix should work, although I haven’t used mine on it. I can’t tell you about almond flour, though-it might be really wet with the almond flour and coconut oil together because the almond flour doesn’t absorb coconut oil as well as the other flours. Hope this helps!
Nice healthy recipe with whole wheat flour. Thanks.
Hi Nelly. You are welcome! It’s so moist, too. Thanks for visiting!
I bet the almond milk adds an awesome flavor to this chocolate cake! I am so going to try this!
Hi Allyson. We love almond milk! Thanks for sharing!
YUMM. I have been searching high and low for a healthy chocolate recipe. I’m going to try this out this week and see if the hubs realizes that there is zucchini in it 😉 Kylie
Hi Kylie, I hope your husband doesn’t guess and that he enjoys it. Thanks for visiting!
Zucchini noodles- the first thing I think of when using zucchini is as a substitute for spaghetti noodles. I use zucchini instead of noodles. Start by scraping off the outer, darker skin and discard. Then shred into long pieces using a peeler and saute until soft enough to resemble a bed of noodles when put on a plate. Pour spaghetti sauce over it. I don’t miss the grain noodles because I prefer zucchini noodles. About one zucchini per serving.
Hey DeeAnn! Great idea! Your idea has totally been on my list, too, but I wanted to get a zucchini spiraler first. You have encouraged me to try it without the investment, though. Thanks, DeeAnn!
Sonya, I needed to use a zucchini and since it’s for breakfast, I tried your Double Chocolate Yogurt Zucchini Bread & wow – awesome! That recipe is a keeper. It doesn’t even need the chocolate chips to make it delicious. Now I have to try this recipe for chocolate zucchini cake!
I was curious as to what a zucchini spiraler is so I searched and found pictures. It is a bit pricey and will take storage space, but a gift idea for the cook who has everything else. It looks like there’s a wealth of ideas of how to use vegetable pasta in recipes. I did however see several entries on how to cut vegetable pasta without a spiraler. I saw pictures of using a julienne peeler to make spaghetti like strips from zucchini. I had been using a potato peeler to make 1/2 inch wide very thin ribbons the length of the zucchini to use for zucchini noodles for spaghetti. The julienne peeler may be better to make strips that look more like the width of pasta noodles especially if you are trying to transition kids to vegetable pasta. I don’t have one, but will buy a julienne peeler to try it. They may come out thicker than the potato peeler but will not be as wide. I saw your raw spaghetti sauce recipe, but need help with a healthy, cheap spaghetti sauce. I’ve been using $3 a jar organic sauce, but I use 3 jars for 2 people. I cook it 3 hours or more to get that old fashioned, home made thickness and flavor, but the price is a bit high, although very quick and easy.
Hi DeeAnn! Thanks for all of the info, and I am so glad you like the Zucchini Bread, too! Yep, the spiraler is pricey, so I haven’t gotten it yet. I guess I am afraid of investing in something that has one use, and we might end up hating. So I need to try your way of doing the noodles first before doing more. Check back today for a marinara sauce recipe! Divine timing, DeeAnn!