This vegan chocolate zucchini cake is fudgy and moist, rich and decadent, with a chocolate fudge frosting. You won’t believe shredded zucchini sneaked into this batter.
Vegan chocolate zucchini cake is the new carrot cake!
If you haven’t heard of it yet, don’t worry, you have now, and it’s the new thing! And if it sounds weird don’t worry about that either. I’m sure once upon a time people thought carrots in a cake was weird and now everyone does it!
Zucchini in a cake will soon be exactly the same. Excuse me if it is already (maybe it’s me that’s a bit behind – always a possibility!).
Shredded zucchini adds heaps of delicious flavorless moisture to your cake, so you get moisture and texture but it doesn’t add flavor, which is good because we don’t really want our deliciously rich chocolate cake tasting like green vegetables.
On the other hand we get to count a slice of vegan chocolate cake as a serving of green vegetables (or do we? – of course we do!).
This cake is ultra rich, fudgy and delectably chocolatey! It’s almost similar to a brownie cake in its fudginess.
It’s not overly dense, don’t get me wrong, the texture is perfect. But the addition of the zucchini adds a density to it that is definitely more brownie cake than a light and fluffy cake.
If you think of the texture of a carrot cake, then you’re getting close. But while a carrot cake keeps the carrot flavor in there along with the texture of the grated carrot, once the zucchini cooks into the chocolate zucchini cake, it’s gone, it’s undetectable, like it was never there.
Except that now you have a super rich, ultra moist, fudgy chocolate cake on your hands that you can’t wait to show off!
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add light brown sugar, baking soda, baking power, instant espresso powder and salt. Mix together.
- Prepare a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of hot water from the kettle. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
- Add the flax egg, shredded zucchini, vegan mayonnaise, vegetable oil, distilled white vinegar and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl and mix into a thick batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with circles of parchment paper on the bottom).
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow your cakes to cool in the cake pans for at least 10 minutes before you remove them from the cake pans as they will be slightly fragile.
- Transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- When the cakes are completely cool, frost with chocolate fudge frosting.
The Frosting
Nothing pairs better with a fudgy vegan chocolate zucchini cake than a chocolate fudge frosting. So that’s exactly what we did here.
A super thick, chocolate fudge frosting and lots of chocolate sprinkles and chocolate chips to throw around on top for decoration.
Ingredient Notes
Instant espresso powder. I used a little espresso powder in this recipe, just to add a tiny kick to this recipe and just to enhance those chocolate flavors a little, but this could be omitted or subbed for instant coffee powder if you prefer.
Freshly shredded zucchini. You must shred the zucchini right before making this cake. You don’t want to shred it days in advance as it will dry out and won’t provide nearly enough moisture for this cake.
Vegan mayonnaise. Another rather unusual ingredient that I used was vegan mayonnaise! I had actually been looking around at some recipes online and seeing a few cakes that had used sour cream or greek yogurt in the cake batter, and I just happened to have some freshly made homemade vegan mayo on hand. And I used a ⅓ cup of this. Well – wouldn’t you know – amazing results! You don’t need to make your own mayonnaise, (but you can if you like!) any store-bought brand will do.
But I mean, it does make sense, mayonnaise is mostly oil that’s been emulsified so it’s just added moisture in a different (creamier) way! So bring it on.
Recipe Tips
Have patience while mixing the batter. The moisture from the shredded zucchinis will gradually seep into the batter creating enough moisture to mix everything together. It will be very thick, but you’ll be able to mix it all in. So if you start mixing and it seems like it’s too thick and will never come together, step away from the bowl for a couple of minutes. When you come back to it, the zucchinis will have released more moisture and you’ll be able to mix it in properly.
Handle with care. This cake is a little more breakable than a regular cake, you have to handle with care and let the cakes cool a bit before removing them from their cake pans.
Storing and Freezing
Keep the cake covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for 2-3 days or covered in the fridge where it will stay good for up to 5 days.
It’s also freezer friendly for 2 months.
More Gorgeous Vegan Cakes
- Vegan Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Coffee Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- Vegan Banana Cake
- Vanilla Sheet Cake
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
For the Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
- ¾ cups Cocoa Powder (65g) Unsweetened
- 1 ½ cups Light Brown Sugar (300g)
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 1 Flax Egg 1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseeds + 3 Tbsp Hot Water
- 2 cups Shredded Zucchini (280g)
- ⅓ cup Vegan Mayonnaise (80ml)
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil (120ml) or Canola Oil
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder (65g) Unsweetened
- 5 Tbsp Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
For Decoration:
- Vegan Chocolate Chips
- Vegan Chocolate Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Spray two 8 inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder and salt and mix together.
- Prepare your flax egg by mixing 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp hot water from the kettle and allowing to sit for a minute until it gets gloopy.
- Add the flax egg, shredded zucchini, vegan mayonnaise, oil, vinegar and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Mix into a batter. It will be very thick. Have patience because the moisture from the shredded zucchinis will gradually seep through the batter creating enough moisture to mix everything together, it will be very thick, but you'll be able to mix it all in.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and spread it out evenly to the edges with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow your cakes to cool in the cake pans for at least 10 minutes before you remove them from the pans as they will be slightly fragile.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare your frosting by adding the vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, soy milk and vanilla extract to the bowl of an electric mixer and starting at slow speed gradually increase speed until it's thick and smooth. This is a thick fudgy frosting. If it's too thick though add a tiny bit more non-dairy milk until you reach a spreadable consistency.
- Frost the cakes and decorate with vegan chocolate chips and sprinkles.
Notes
- Instant espresso powder can be subbed for instant coffee powder or omitted altogether if you prefer.
- Weigh your flour (and your zucchini) for the most accurate results.
- Keep the cake covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for 2-3 days or covered in the fridge where it will stay good for up to 5 days. It’s also freezer friendly for 2 months.
- Nutritional information includes frosting but excludes decorations like chocolate chips and sprinkles.
This was the best chocolate cake ever, vegan or not. The first time my boyfriend and I made this, it turned out amazing. Which is amazing in itself as I haven’t had much luck baking vegan cakes in the last two years. We made it for my Dad’s birthday and everyone loved it so much we should have made two:)
Thanks so much for the recipe Alison!
Thank you so much for the awesome review Krystal! So happy it was a hit! 🙂
First I was a bit sceptical but it turned out delicious! Thanks a lot for the recipe!
Yay! Thanks for the great review Indre! 🙂
I made this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan and it turned out perfect! My boyfriend said “BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER” and he didn’t know it was vegan. I first thought it was very dry when mixing it up, even had to use my hands a bit, but it turned out moist and delicious. This will be my go to zucchini cake from now on. Also loved the frosting!
So glad it came out great and was a hit! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review. 🙂
Want to make for our daughter’s birthday. Any adjustments in ingredients or bake time/temperature if I make in 9×13 pan? Or in 2 9 in. pans vs. 8 in. ?
The layers may be a little thin in 9-inch pans, but it also might be fine. Baking time would be the same. If it’s in a 9×13 I think it would work great, but baking time may be shorter. I haven’t tested it though, so I’m not entirely sure.
I made this in a 9 x 13 sheet pan and it was fabulous! I had to cut the frosting in half because I only had 2 cups of confec sugar. My boyfriend said it was the BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!! (he didn’t know it was vegan) I’m making it again as a surprise for his birthday.
I am not a Vegan but man oh man this vegan chocolate zucchini cake is absolutely AMAZING!!!
This cake is delicious! And very simple to make.
I sprinkled sliced almonds on the outside to give it extra crunch and texture instead of chocolate sprinkles.
Awesome! So happy to hear it was good and sliced almonds on the outside sounds like a great idea! Thanks for the great review. 🙂
Hi. I made this cake with gluten free flour, and it worked fantastically. I also reduced the sugar in the recipe to 3/4 cup, and should have reduced the salt to 1/4 instead of 1/2 a teaspoon ( it was a bit a salty). I used a heart shape tin, and only had the one layer, and it cooked wonderfully at the 30 min recommended. I also halved the icing and it was still a good 1 cm thick all over, so more than enough.
When I told my daughter it was a chocolate zucchini cake, she turned her nose up at it, but she has now had 4 pieces ( over two days) and loves it.
Haha, yes zucchini in a cake is a weird concept but once you try it…. So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your adjustments. 🙂
Just had a question, can I use a normal egg instead of a flax egg? And what would be a non vegan option for the mayonnaise?
Thanks!
Yes, you can, and regular mayonnaise could replace vegan mayonnaise.
I LOVE IT, BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF THE ZUCCHINI SHOULD BE COOKED OR IS RAW?
Raw. 🙂
BEST! CAKE! EVER!
Awesome! 🙂
Hey so I tried this recipe for my family and it was honestly the best cake I have ever tried!!! I could have eaten the whole thing myself and have room for more! Anyway I was just wondering would I be able to use this recipe to make muffins?
Hi Mollie, so pleased you liked the recipe! I haven’t tried it as muffins, I’m thinking it would make more than 12 muffins though, maybe 16 or so. Definitely worth a try and I’m thinking it would likely be awesome! 🙂
Hi Alison, I made the muffins in the end and they turned out delicious, I took them out after 20 minutes instead of 30 and it made 18 perfect muffins! I put coconut oil in the muffin cases before hand as well just to ensure that they didn’t stick and it worked brilliantly! I’m definitely posting about these on my vegan Instagram page( which is molls_vegan_world for anyone wondering ?)! Thank you so much xxx
Awesome! So glad they worked out well! Tag us on instagram, we’d love to see your pics. 🙂
This turned out amazing! Thank you.
Curious if I wanted to attempt a vanilla zucchini cake using this recipe as a base, how would I go about that?
Hi Melanie, glad you liked the recipe! I haven’t attempted this as a vanilla cake, you might just need to replace the cocoa powder with more flour, but it would be an experiment to get the ratio’s exactly right. 🙂
Just curious, could I make it in a 9” x 13” pan? How long to bake? Thank you! Looks luscious!
Hi Mary, I have not tried this as a sheet cake, so I’m not sure. Baking time would be in the region of 20 minutes I imagine, but you can just check it at that time and if it’s not done put it back in for a few minutes. I have made a chocolate sheet cake, not a zucchini version, but I made it in both a 9×13 (quarter sheet) and a half sheet pan and it came out great both times.
Holy moly, I am not a vegan, but if everything vegan was this delicious I might convert! Seriously this is THE BEST chocolate cake i have ever made or eaten. The recipe is easy and although mine did not turn out near as pretty as Alison’s, it tasted every bit as amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us!
That is SO awesome to hear Tarra! Soooo pleased you loved it! And that is super high praise. Thanks so much for the awesome review! 🙂
Super idea to combine veggies with cake in this delectable fashion – love it!
Thanks Anna! 🙂