Zucchini Chocolate Bundt Cake

Enjoy a moist and tender chocolate zucchini bundt cake with bursts of chocolate chips topped with a smooth, chocolaty glaze. This heavenly dessert is perfect for zucchini season!

Make this delightful zucchini chocolate bundt cake! This moist and luscious dessert is a perfect blend of rich chocolate and wholesome zucchini, a heavenly treat for any occasion. 

Check out more zucchini cake recipes: Cinnamon Zucchini Bread Recipe, Mirror Glaze Chocolate Cake with Zucchini, or Zucchini Bundt Cake.

Jump to recipe

• Why should you add zucchini to a cake?
• Recipe ingredients
• How to make chocolate zucchini bundt cake?
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• How to store?
• More bundt cakes
• Recipe
• Zucchini Chocolate Bundt Cake

Why should you add zucchini to a cake?

• Moisture: Its high water content keeps the cake moist and prevents it from drying out.
• Texture: The grated vegetable adds a unique texture, making the crumb tender.
• Flavor: Its mild flavor complements the sweetness of the other ingredients, adding a subtle freshness without overpowering the chocolate taste.
• Versatility: The best way to use up an abundance of zucchini you might have at this time of year.

Recipe ingredients

Cake ingredients:

• Zucchini: Fresh zucchini, grated and only lightly squeezed to remove excess moisture.
• Eggs: Four large eggs to bind the ingredients and provide structure.
• Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with the cake's texture and browning.
• Vegetable oil or another neutral-tasting oil; ensure it is neutral. I use canola oil most of the time. Don’t use olive oil.  
• All-purpose flour: The base ingredient that gives the cake structure.
• Ground hazelnuts or almonds: Adds a nutty flavor and texture. You can use any of them or even a mixture if you have to use up some opened packages. Ground almonds or almond meal is not the same as almond flour; using almond flour in this recipe might affect the cake’s texture.
• Baking powder: The leavening agent needed to make the cake rise.
• Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the cake.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: For the rich chocolate flavor. 
• Chocolate chips: Adds bursts of chocolate throughout the cake, enhancing its taste and appearance. I used dark chocolate chips, but milk chocolate chips or chopped chocolate are also fine. 

Glaze ingredients:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder: The main ingredient for the glaze, giving it a chocolatey flavor.
• Powdered sugar/icing sugar/confectioners sugar: Sweetens and thickens the glaze for a smooth texture.
• Butter: Adds richness and creamy consistency to the glaze.

How to make chocolate zucchini bundt cake?

You can make the batter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use an electric mixer.

• Preheat the oven and prepare the bundt cake pan (See Expert Tips).
• Grate the zucchini on the fine side of the box grater (1).
• Take handfuls of it and squeeze them gently over a sieve. You should not squeeze them completely dry, just enough to remove the excess liquid without drying out the vegetables completely. 

• Wet ingredients: Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes until they are pale and fluffy. Add oil and mix shortly (2). 
• Dry ingredients: Mix flour, ground nuts, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl (3). 

• Batter: Add them to the egg mixture and incorporate them shortly on low speed until the ingredients are just combined (4). Add grated zucchini and stir them in shortly. Fold in the chips in just a few movements (5).

• Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan (6) and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool: Let the zucchini chocolate bundt cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes to allow it to set.
• Then, carefully invert the pan onto a cooling rack, gently tapping it to release the cake. It should come out easily if you've prepared the pan well or used a silicon form (7).
• Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze:

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 1-2 minutes. 
• Add cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and 2 tablespoons of hot water from the tab to the melted butter. 
• Mix well with a spoon, and add a little bit more water if the glaze is too thick. Add water only a few drops at a time, stir again, and stop as soon as the glaze has reached the desired consistency (8). 
• Place the cake on the wire rack on a large plate or baking sheet. Carefully spoon the glaze all over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides of the cake. Work quickly as the mixture tends to set fast (9). 

• Decorate: You can sprinkle the cake with chocolate chips or finely chopped nuts if you wish. Do it now, before the glaze sets. 
• Let the chocolate glaze set completely before transferring the zucchini chocolate bundt cake to a serving platter.

Expert Tips

The most important tip: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it guarantees the best result (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab). Measuring flour in cups is tricky; if you do it 3 times, you will most likely get 3 different results. 

How to prepare a bundt cake pan for baking?

• Generously grease the pan using softened butter, making sure to cover all the nooks and crannies. This step is crucial to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.
• Dust with flour, and turn the pan around to coat lightly with flour all over. Turn the pan over the sink and pat it gently on the bottom to remove the excess flour. 
• If using a silicon bundt cake pan, there is no need to grease and flour it. 

Other tips

• Don’t overfill the pan: Once it is ready, pour the batter into it, filling it about two-thirds full. Be sure not to overfill, as the cake will rise during baking.
• Room temperature: Use all your ingredients at room temperature, especially eggs. This ensures a smoother cake batter and better incorporation of ingredients.
• Avoid overmixing: Once you add the flour, mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to a tough cake.
• Baking time: Bake the cake for the time instructed or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remember that if your oven tends to run cooler, it might require up to 1 hour. 

Recipe FAQs

How to store?

• Store the cooled, glazed zucchini chocolate bundt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you want to keep it longer, refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Refrigeration will alter the texture slightly, making it a bit denser, but it will still be delicious. 

• Freeze the leftover cake for up to 2-3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before freezing. Thaw the cake in the fridge. 
• It’s preferable to freeze an unglazed cake, but scraping the glaze off the leftover slices would be annoying, so don’t worry too much about it; the cake will still be great after thawing it. Just the glaze might look a bit strange, as most of it will probably stick to the packing material. 

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