It’s the time of year when zucchini overflows from every garden in Northern Minnesota. In some neighborhoods, you can find boxes full of them set on street corners and labeled “FREE”. The zucchini harvest is so overwhelming that people are desperate to get rid of them. Luckily, we know what to do with such an abundance of zucchini — grate them, add chocolate, and bake this Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake > Zucchini Bread
I know, I know, most people would go for zucchini bread first, but honestly? It’s overrated. Zucchini bread is fine and all (and MUCH better than banana bread, in my opinion), but this cake? GOODNESS, it’s a winner.
You see, when you add grated zucchini to a chocolate cake, it becomes insanely moist and rich. You won’t know it’s there — it dissolves into the cake as it bakes, so you can’t see it, and the flavor is overwhelmed by chocolate, vanilla, more chocolate, and cinnamon…and a little more chocolate.
Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
I’ve been making this recipe for years — it is, hands down, the best chocolate zucchini cake I’ve found. And there are loads of them out there: do a quick Google search and you’ll be inundated with recipes.
This one comes from allrecipes.com, where it’s demurely titled “Chocolate Zucchini Cake III“. That title really doesn’t do it any kind of justice. It’s an amazing cake. And while the recipe as written is perfectly delicious, I tweaked it a little, adding vanilla extract and replacing the nuts with chocolate chips. I then baked it in a 10-c bundt pan and added a thick and shiny chocolate glaze for wow factor. And boy, does it deliver on the wow factor.
The Chocolate Glaze
This chocolate glaze is the same one I use on my Espresso Brownies. It’s quick and easy to throw together, and it’s a shiny, silky, chocolatey dream that really puts this cake over the top.
The glaze calls for just 2 teaspoons of corn syrup, and I know what you’re going to ask: Can I leave it out? And honestly, you probably can, but it won’t be nearly as shiny and luscious. Those 2 teaspoons really do a lot of work here.
You could probably try honey or agave instead, but know that it will definitely change the flavor (also, a disclaimer: I haven’t actually tried it with honey or agave, so can’t say for sure how it will turn out…but I think it should work ok). Your best bet will be to just bite the bullet and use the corn syrup.
The recipe definitely makes a generous amount of glaze — when you pour it over the cake you’ll end up with a good puddle of it in the center of the bundt. But when warm it’s great served with ice cream, and when cold it has the exact taste and texture of a chocolate truffle…either way, who’s complaining?
So, in summary, bust out the zucchini and make this cake ASAP — you won’t be sorry.
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Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 2 c granulated sugar
- 3/4 c cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 c vegetable oil
- 3 c grated zucchini
- 3/4 c bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Glaze
- 1 c bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 c (1 stick) butter
- 3 tsp water
- 2 tsp light corn syrup
Instructions
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a 10c bundt pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add eggs and vegetable oil, mixing until well combined. Fold in grated zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes*. Then tip the cake out of the pan onto your serving dish and allow it to cool while you make the glaze.
Chocolate Glaze
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, cooking over low heat and stirring constantly until fully melted and uniform. While it's still warm, pour the glaze over the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool, then slice and enjoy!