Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Written by on in Cakes

So, a few summers ago I decided to grow some zucchini in my garden thinking that the plant would produce two or three zucchini’s if I was lucky. Well my garden produced way more then the two or three that I expected. Now I had an abundance of zucchini and there is only so much grilled zucchini that someone can eat. That’s when I decided to think out of the box and make something sweet with them.

I have made Zucchini bread for years, so I pulled from my zucchini bread recipe, added some other ingredients and put it into a Bundt pan instead of a loaf pan to give it a more dessert feel and topped it with a rich chocolate ganache. Well it worked, everyone loved it. They had no idea that this moist, rich chocolate cake had three medium zucchini’s in it.
With all that zucchini I feel like it can’t be that bad, right?

I started by whisking together my flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, espresso powder and a rich dark unsweetened cocoa to a large bowl. If you want a really rich and flavorful chocolate cake, you need to use a good quality cocoa powder. If possible, try not to skimp here. King Arthur’s Double Dark Cocoa powder is super dark which makes for a rich flavorful cake. It is definitely worth it.

To the bowl of a stand mixer I added softened butter, melted coconut oil and granulated sugar and mixed it until fluffy.

Then I added the eggs and vanilla extract and continued mixing until it was light and fluffy.

I alternately added my flour mixture and my yogurt to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture,

I grated my zucchini using a box grater on the smallest side. I mixed in my grated zucchini until combine

I folded in the mini morsels then poured the batter into a Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.

I baked it at 325º in a preheated oven for 1 hour or until it was firm to the touch. I let it cool on a cooling rack, then inverted it onto a serving platter.

I heated my heavy cream in a sauce pan. I placed my chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and poured the hot cream over them, letting them sit for 2 minutes without touching them. I stirred my chocolate with a rubber spatula until shinny, then poured it evenly over the Bundt cake. I decorated with fruit and then served.

The chocolate ganache made this cake super rich and delicious. So give it a try, I’m sure it will be a hit with your family to.

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour.
  • 1 Teaspoon baking soda.
  • 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder.
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt.
  • 3/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I use King Arthur Double Dutch Dark Cocoa Powder ).
  • 1 Tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules.
  • 1/2 Cup ( 1 stick ) unsalted butter.
  • 1/2 Cup coconut oil melted, or vegetable oil.
  • 1 1/3 Cup granulated sugar.
  • 2 Large eggs at room temperature.
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • 1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt.
  • 3 Cups of shredded zucchini slightly squeezed ou to take some moisture out.
  • 1 1/2 Cups Mini morsels.

Chocolate Ganache Topping:

  • 1 Cup heavy cream.
  • 1 Cup bittersweet chocolate chips.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, express powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, oil and sugar on high until light in color and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Stir in pure vanilla extract.
  4. Add the greek yogurt and flour mixture alternatively into the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in shredded zucchini and the 1 1/2 cups of mini morsels
  5. Spoon batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour or until firm to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and set on cooling rack to cool. Once cooled invert cake onto a serving platter.
  6. Meanwhile in a saucepan heat the heavy cream over medium heat. Bring cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir until shinny and thickened. Pour over cooled cake and let set for 20 minutes before serving. Decorate with fresh fruit and serve.
  7. Enjoy