This is the perfect Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake that’s incredibly moist and rich. An easy bundt cake that combines fresh zucchini with chocolate chips and dried cherries for an irresistible dessert. Chocolate cake is my favorite way to eat zucchini!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
🍰 Whenever I make baked goods with zucchini, I always get out the salad spinner and spin out as much water as possible!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
Prepare Your Bundt Pan: Grease your bundt pan thoroughly with butter or cooking spray, then dust with flour (or cocoa powder for extra chocolate flavor). Pay special attention to all the grooves and crevices to ensures your cake will release cleanly from the pan’s design!
Prepare the Zucchini: To prevent a soggy cake, it’s important to remove excess moisture after grating the zucchini. Use a salad spinner to spin out the water, or wrap the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
You literally cannot taste the zucchini in this cake! It’s the perfect way to use up an abundant zucchini harvest while adding extra nutrients and fiber to your dessert. Kids and adults alike will never guess there are vegetables hiding in this decadent treat.
The grated zucchini adds natural moisture to this bundt cake, creating an incredibly tender crumb that stays fresh for days. Unlike traditional chocolate cakes that can dry out quickly, this zucchini version maintains its perfect texture thanks to the vegetable’s high water content.
You can even add a simple chocolate glaze to dress up this simple cake even more!
🩷 Melissa
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you will get great new recipes from us every week!
Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 cups grated zucchini excess water removed
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried cherries, cut in half or dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 half size or a full size bundt pan and set aside.
- Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add sour cream and beat until well blended.
- Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Mix in zucchini, chocolate chips coated in 2 tablespoons flour, and dried fruit.
- Divide batter between pans. Bake half size bundts for 35 minutes; full size bundt for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Notes
- Store the completely cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Or wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to a week.
- You can also freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 half size or a full size bundt pan and set aside. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 2: In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add sour cream and beat until well blended.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Mix in zucchini, chocolate chips coated in 2 tablespoons flour, and dried fruit.
Step 4: Divide batter between pans. Bake half size bundts for 35 minutes; full size bundt for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
Recipe FAQs
No, you don’t need to peel the zucchini! The skin is tender and adds extra nutrients and fiber. Just wash the zucchini thoroughly and grate it with the skin on. The skin will blend seamlessly into the cake batter.
After grating the zucchini, it’s important to remove excess moisture. Use a salad spinner to spin out the water, or wrap the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible. This prevents the cake from becoming too dense or soggy.
Yes! You can bake this batter in two 8-inch round pans (reduce baking time to 25-30 minutes), one 9×13 inch pan (bake for 35-40 minutes), or even as muffins (bake for 18-22 minutes). Just adjust the baking time accordingly and test for doneness with a toothpick.
More Delicious Cake Recipes to Consider
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Marie
I wish this cake had lived up to its expectations. The texture was dense and gooey, rubber-like. If you’re looking for a fluffy sponge cake, this isn’t it. The icing recommended was on the thick size and came on clumpy instead of as a glaze. Will not make again.
Barbara Schieving
Sorry you had troubles with the recipe. No, you’ll never get a fluffy sponge cake with a zucchini cake. It’s meant to be dense and more pound cake like. It shouldn’t have been rubber-like however. I don’t know what went wrong for you, my guess if overmixing. I’ve made it many times and never had that problem.
bee
This bundt cake is awesome. I followed all directions but omitted the cherries, and substituted vanilla yogurt for the sour cream. I frosted it with a chocolate drizzle. It tastes devine…super chocolatey and moist.
Yum.
Dawn White
This is a great tasty recipe. My family loved it. I dusted it with powdered sugar and it
Was a hit!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Dawn! Glad it was a hit.
Ann Adams
Made the cake………won’t make it again
Barbara Schieving
Hi Ann – sorry you were disappointed with the cake. Maybe you could leave more information so I can see what it was you didn’t like about it.
angela@spinachtiger
Barbara, I love dried cherries with chocolate. This is chocolate lover’s dream for me.
Nutmeg nanny
Wow! This cake looks so incredible, I can not wait to make this myself, I bet it’ll be gone fast 😉
Barbara
Wonderful, Barbara. Love the cherries and chocolate in there too. I well remember all those HUGE zucchini left in my garden. You can only give so many away. 🙂
gloria
Barbara this cake look awesome!
Laura
Great idea with the dried cherries!
Nessa
This looks incredible!
Annalise
I have so much zucchini in my garden, I’m already sick of it! Time to put it in a cake! 🙂
kelley {mountain mama cooks}
Oh girl, I’d dig into this with just a fork and a cold glass of milk to wash it down. This looks amazing!!
Cookin Canuck
Chocolate and cherries with a zucchini cake? Now that sounds heavenly!