Moist Zucchini Chocolate Cake Recipe (can be dairy & egg free / vegan) (2024)

4.82 from 153 votes

CAKE INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients bowl

• 1 and 1/4th cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda baking soda & powder stay fresh for 6m-1 year once open
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves adds a slightly spiced flavor like in carrot cake
• Optional: 1 teaspoon ground coffee

Wet ingredients bowl

• 1 egg* see substitution note
• 1/3 cup oil. We use olive oil or vegetable oil.
• 1 cup sugar. We use half brown sugar half white sugar.
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons coconut cream or 1 small 5.4 oz can** (see substitution note)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stirred in at the end

• 1 heaping cup grated zucchini I used 1 medium zucchini which yielded ~1.25 cups
• Optional: 1/3 cup chocolate chips allergy note: regular chocolate chips usually contain dairy

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 4 Tablespoons butter (half a stick) softened at room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese (half a standard size package) softened at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups powdered confectioners sugar sifted into the frosting bowl
• Optional, but highly recommended: 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice to taste I also added a little lemon zest into the frosting and on top of each cupcake.

CAKE INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Grate zucchini and set aside. If if looks watery, blot off excess water with a paper towel otherwise I don’t typically blot it. If you’re doing the optional adding lemon juice or white vinegar into the milk step, do that now as well and set aside.

• In a bowl, sift together everything listed under “Dry ingredients bowl.” Sifting is key for helping these ingredients combine evenly and to get rid of clumps. I only have a little sift, so just added each ingredient one at a time through the sift, stirred with a spoon, and re-sifted everything together.

• In a separate, large bowl, mix everything listed under “Wet ingredients bowl” using a hand beater until combined.

• Stir the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl. Use a large spoon or spatula to stir until combined.

• Stir in grated zucchini and optional chocolate chips.

• Scoop batter into cupcake liners or a well greased pan (this recipe fits into an 8 x 8 pan). I filled these to the brim of my cupcake tins for fuller, rounded cupcakes after baking.

• Bake for 18-22 minutes for cupcakes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. For a larger sheet cake, bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the toothpick test is clean.

  See Also

  Easy Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins RecipeThe Best Blueberry Crumble Muffins Recipe and Picking Fresh Blueberries in AuburnOur Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit RecipeGluten-Free Buckwheat Scones (high protein, low sugar recipe)

FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

• Cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla using a mixer.

• Sift in the powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth.

• Stir in optional lemon juice and/or zest half a teaspoon at a time to taste, until you’re happy with the flavor. If needed, add a few tablespoons more confectioners sugar for thicker frosting.

• Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes (frosting will thicken up a tad more) and then spread on top of FULLY COOLED cake. You can also make a DIY frosting piping bag (pictured below) by cutting off one corner of a ziploc bag.

* Egg substitute: Oftentimes you can replace 1 egg in baking with 1/4 cup of applesauce or mashed banana.Or, try a flax seed egg which is common in vegan baking.

** Coconut cream is the thicker, creamy and more solidified part inside a can of coconut milk. You can buy it separately (like this mini can) or just scoop out the thicker part from a regular can of coconut milk. I used just regular coconut milk for this batch as a test, and it still worked fine. We freeze any unused coconut milk or cream in ice cube trays for various uses later!

*** If you do not have coconut milk and are able to eat dairy, the original family recipe actually calls for 1/2 cup regular milk (whole milk if available) + 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir the vinegar or lemon juice into the milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before using. This is a common way of making “buttermilk” for baking, and you can also do this with the coconut milk but I skipped it.

4.85 from 80 votes

CAKE INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients bowl

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (do an extra 1/4 teaspoon if you like cinnamon)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Wet ingredients bowl

• 1 egg* see substitution note
• 1/3 cup neutral flavored oil
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tbs sugar I use mostly brown sugar for carrot cake
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons coconut cream or 1 small 5.4 oz can** (see substitution note)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stirred in at the end

• 1.5 cups grated carrots I used 2 medium sized carrots
• 1/2 cup raisins
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, plus some crushed for toppings.

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

• 4 Tablespoons butter (half stick) softened at room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese (half a standard size package) softened at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups powdered confectioners sugar sifted into the frosting bowl

CAKE INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Grate carrots and set aside. If if looks watery, blot off excess water with a paper towel otherwise I don’t typically blot it. If you’re doing the optional adding lemon juice or white vinegar into the milk step, do that now as well and set aside.

• In a bowl, sift together everything listed under “Dry ingredients bowl.” Sifting is key for helping these ingredients combine evenly and to get rid of clumps. I only have a little sift, so just added each ingredient one at a time through the sift, stirred with a spoon, and re-sifted everything together.

• In a separate, large bowl, mix everything listed under “Wet ingredients bowl” using a hand beater until combined.

• Stir the sifted dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl. Use a large spoon or spatula to stir until combined.

• Stir in grated carrots, raisins, and optional nuts.

• Scoop batter into cupcake liners or a well greased pan (this recipe fits into an 8 x 8 pan).

• Bake for 18-22 minutes for cupcakes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. For a larger sheet cake, bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the toothpick test is clean.

FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS

• Cream together the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla using a mixer.

• Sift in the powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth. If needed, add a few tablespoons more confectioners sugar for thicker frosting.

• Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes (frosting will thicken up a tad more) and then spread on top of FULLY COOLED cake.

* Egg substitute: Oftentimes you can replace 1 egg in baking with 1/4 cup of applesauce or mashed banana.Or, try a flax seed egg which is common in vegan baking.

** Coconut cream is the thicker, creamy and more solidified part inside a can of coconut milk. You can buy it separately (like this mini can) or just scoop out the thicker part from a regular can of coconut milk. I used just regular coconut milk for this batch as a test, and it still worked fine. We freeze any unused coconut milk or cream in ice cube trays for various uses later!

*** If you do not have coconut milk and are able to eat dairy, the original family recipe actually calls for 1/2 cup regular milk (whole milk if available) + 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir the vinegar or lemon juice into the milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before using. This is a common way of making “buttermilk” for baking, and you can also do this with the coconut milk but I skipped it.