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Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake – a tender and moist zucchini cake with lots of chocolate chips, and topped with a Nutella frosting.
I love baking with zucchini. There are so many great zucchini recipes, I just want do nothing but bake all August long. Zucchini bread might be one of my favorite things to make, but this zucchini cake is right up there!
Zucchini recipes are obviously more than just baking. Using it place of pasta is all the rage, but I am more of a Zucchini Fritters or grilled zucchini kind of person. It is actually one of my favorite things to put in my Kung Pao Chicken too.
My family loves muffins. I almost always have a freezer full of muffins for quick weekday breakfast. And zucchini muffins are a staple in the fall. They really are just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast. But this chocolate chip zucchini cake is topped with a Nutella frosting, which makes it over the top amazing!
Chocolate and zucchini go really well together, but I wanted a cake that just had a little chocolate. This Chocolate Zucchini Cake is full on chocolate with chocolate frosting if that is more your thing. This one is full of cinnamon, so it has the spice and fall flavors I think of with zucchini and fall baking.
In case you hadn’t noticed, I kind of have a thing for Nutella. I actually make this same Nutella frosting years ago when I made these Nutella Cupcakes. I have always wanted to make it again, and this zucchini cake seemed like the perfect pair. I mean, when isn’t Nutella the answer?
The cake is dense but still super tender and moist, with just a hint of cinnamon. It is perfect if you have zucchini sitting around and aren’t sure what to do with it. Make this chocolate chip zucchini cake and impressive everyone.
So if you are looking for something new to try with zucchini, this zucchini cake is it! It is perfect for parties and any summer entertaining that you have. And the Nutella frosting is what takes this over the top. You can use your favorite chocolate frosting, but trust me and try this version with Nutella!
And if you have picky eaters feel free to peel the zucchini before shredding it and putting in this cake. Then they will never see any green flecks or have any idea they are eating anything but a delicious chocolate chip cake.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup oil
- 3 cups zucchini, shredded
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Nutella Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 2 - 3 cups powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 13x9 inch baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl mix together vanilla, eggs and oil. Add flour mixture and fold until mostly combined. Add zucchini (do not drain), and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Meanwhile prepare the frosting. Mix together all of the ingredients until well blended. Beat until fluffy. Adjust the milk and sugar as necessary to get a spreadable consistency.
- Once the cake is completely cool frost.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used butter instead of oil.No other changes. This cake was moist and delicious, and the frosting was perfect with it! Try it!
By far the BEST zucchini cake I’ve ever made or had. I love that it uses a good amount of zucchini with no draining/squeezing is required. I’ve made this twice now, one as a 9×13 and the other as a layer cake (two 9-inch round pans) and both times the results were perfect. The only change I made was to reduce the chocolate chips to one cup (it’s quite sweet) and I used an ermine icing, which is less sweet. This one is a keeper!