Farmer’s Market Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Categories: All, Cakes, Desserts, Recipes
Tags: , Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Desserts, Coconut Palm Sugar, Dairy Free, Fall Desserts, Healthy Desserts, Probiotic Chocolate, Vegan, Zucchini Cake
Though summer is winding down, I’m loving the fact that I can still hit a great local farmer’s market once a week, so I’ll look for any excuse to hide, er, I mean to use, these fresh veggies and fruits in my baking. My latest “hidden treasure” is zucchini! While you might not think that zucchini and chocolate could marry so well, just wait until you taste this amazing dessert!
Besides being delectably moist and delicious, this chocolate cake contains health benefits you can’t taste — talk about having your cake and eating it too! The glaze on top is a delicious alternative to traditional frosting, but is totally optional. I shaved some dark chocolate on top (also optional) but consider this: Attune® Dark Chocolate Probiotic Bar is a delicious dairy-free chocolate that contains 6.1 billion Probiotic cultures! My chocolate cake is getting healthier by the minute!
This light, subtly sweet cake is sure to be a hit for you this summer and fall. In fact, in the words of my son’s playdate ( age 8 ) pointing to this cake, “I don’t know if there’s gluten in that or not, but that chocolate cake is GOOD!”
Although this recipe was originally published in my 2010 cookbook, Free for All Cooking, since then I’ve experimented more with Coconut Palm Sugar – a low glycemic, granulated, raw and nutrient rich alternative to processed sugar. I’m happy to report that this recipe worked beautifully using coconut palm sugar, so consider that an option if you’re looking to feel even better about eating chocolate cake!
To your tasty health!
~jules
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- 2 1/2 cups Jules Gluten FreeTM All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch processed)
- 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup butter or vegan Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
- 1 2/3 cups granulated cane sugar OR coconut palm sugar (I used Coconut Secret)
- 3 eggs (or egg subs of choice – see Free for All Cooking for preferred subs for this recipe)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar, honey OR raw coconut nectar (I used Coconut Secret)
- 1 tablespoon orange juice or apple cider
- 2 1/2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
- 1/2 cup milk or non-dairy soy, coconut or almond milk
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or non-dairy soy, coconut or almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- shaved milk chocolate or dark chocolate (I used Attune® Dark Chocolate Probiotic Bar)
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Prepare a 10-inch tube or bundt pan by lightly oiling and dusting with Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. Or, prepare a 9 x 13 baking pan the same way, and bake as a sheet pan. Serve regular slices of cake, or cut out in fun shapes with cookie cutters!
Wash and grate zucchini with skins on. If you have extra grated zucchini, measure it and bag it, then refrigerate or freeze for your next yummy zucchini recipe!
Whisk together Jules Gluten FreeTM All Purpose Flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
Using an electric mixer (preferred), cream butter/Buttery Sticks and sugar until smooth and light. Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla, agave/coconut nectar, orange juice and zucchini.
Alternately add the mixed dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture until fully incorporated.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes) or until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
To make glaze, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake after it has fully cooled.
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18. Oct, 2011
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Ami Frank said: on September 16, 2011
I was just thinking about looking for a recipe for this to help use all the zucchini out our garden. Pefect. thanks Jules
Jules said: on September 16, 2011
Happy to help! You’ll love it!
Mary-Lela G. said: on September 16, 2011
Just curious…Why are the wet ingredients added one at a time instead of mixing together and then adding? A number of recipes state this way and I’m wondering why. Thanks
Jen said: on September 17, 2011
If I don’t have any of your baking mix, can I use a different one?
and if I only have blue bonnet margarine, will that be ok to use as well?
Also, I have immitation vanilla, will that work?
thanks, sorry I have so many questions, but I really want to make some now and those are the only things I need to substitute…..Thanks for the recipe, excited to try a new one
Jules said: on September 19, 2011
Hi Jen- it’s hard to say if another mix or blend will work or not, because there are so many variations, bulk:starch ratios and different ingredient possibilities. In a recipe like this where there is a lot of flour, the mixture you use will definitely make a difference. I will say though, that if you use another mix without xanthan or guar gum in it, you will need to add that to your mix so that the recipe will hold together. My blend already contains that binder so you don’t need to add it if you’re using mine. Regarding the margarine, that will probably work in this recipe, but make sure it’s nice and cold when you add it. Margarine tends to be a bit more watery in recipes. Imitation vanilla is fine, as long as it’s gluten-free. Hope that helps and that you get to try this recipe!!!
Frances D’amato said: on September 17, 2011
very good we like it.
thank you.
Karen Redalen said: on September 18, 2011
I am loving the idea of the coconut sweetener. I was just diagnosed with reactive hypoglycemia so I am thrilled to see other alternatives to sugar, especially when it is good for me. Thanks so much for exploring this area in your recipes. I can’t wait to try it myself. You are making such a difference in my life with everything you offer and share. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!
Jules said: on September 19, 2011
Karen – so glad it’s helpful to you! I love trying new things too, so it’s nice when I can explore new ingredients to help people with other dietary and health issues, and still make yummy recipes!!!!
Nancy Marin said: on September 24, 2011
Just took my delicious smelling cake out of the
I am not the most seasoned baker and had a few ?’s
1. I just made this cake in the bundt pan and the top does not look very smooth; is that typical?
2. Any tricks for when mixing the flour mixture, for any of the cakes I have made, the flour mixture “smokes” and makes a big mess, is this typical?
3. With all the amazing baked goods and recipes you post, how do you stay so thin? ( not to get personal, but just really curious. I want to make everything you post but resist!!!) thank you for your amazing products and enthusiasm!!!
Jules said: on September 26, 2011
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad you tried the Chocolate Zucchini Cake! It’s a good one! The cake shouldn’t be especially bumpy, but it’s not totally smooth either, since there is zucchini in it. If yours turned out lumpy at all, it needs to have been beaten more. As far as using gluten-free flours, they tend to be lighter, as most blends are starchier than regular wheat flour, which means they will fill your kitchen and leave a little white film all over the place if you mix them quickly or don’t dump them into a bowl gently. When I have recipes calling for a lot of flour, I generally pour the measured flour gently into the mixing bowl, and where possible, pour half of the liquids on top. I also cover the mixer and bowl with a tea towel to keep the flying flour down! As for me staying thin (first of all, thank you for the sweet compliment!), I am one of those who doesn’t sit down much! Blogging, writing and answering emails is about the only reason I ever sit down! I have two young kids, a dog, two cats and a crazy busy schedule, so I think that helps! I also like to run whenever I can (not often enough!). But I definitely do my share of taste-testing — Life’s too short not to!
Robin said: on September 28, 2011
I made this last week with the (over) abundance of zucchini we have from our CSA share – and it was delicious!!! Even my picky boys love it! Thank you so much!!!
Jules said: on September 29, 2011
Fantastic Robin! That’s what I like to hear – when you can win over picky boys, you know you’ve made a great recipe!
Lisa said: on September 28, 2011
I just made this cake, my very first Jules recipe and it did not disappoint!! This is by far the best gluten free cake I have ever had…I can’t stop eating it! I can’t wait to crack into my 30lbs of Jules GF AP Flour that was just delivered to my door and try ALL of your recipes!
Jules said: on September 29, 2011
Lisa – so glad you loved it! Have fun baking again!!!!
Angie said: on July 5, 2012
I would love to make this for my kids’ birthday cake, it looks amazing!!! But I don’t have a bunt pan. What size cake pan could I use instead? 9×13? 2-8x8s? Thanks Jules!
Jules said: on July 5, 2012
Angie, I’d think you could use a 9×13 with no problems — just check it regularly so it doesn’t over-bake or under-bake because the timing will be different from a bundt pan. What a great idea for a yummy birthday cake!
Diane said: on July 6, 2012
I’m looking forward to trying this – one question – should I squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini before adding it to the mixture?
Jules said: on July 7, 2012
Hi Diane, if your zucchini is particularly wet, that would be a good idea, but often it’s not necessary. Enjoy!
Diane said: on July 10, 2012
This cake was delicious! I could hardly wait for it to cool before tasting. Instead of a glaze I dusted it with powdered sugar. Very moist. Thank you!
Jules said: on July 15, 2012
That sounds like a great idea, Diane! I bet since it was still warm, the powdered sugar was even yummier!
Jane said: on August 20, 2012
This is SO GOOD! I made these into muffin/cupcakes instead of the full cake. I made 1/2 exactly as your recipe said to and in the other 1/2 I tossed in some dairy free, GF chocolate chips and a sprinkling of quinoa.
Both were so yummy!
Jules said: on August 21, 2012
Wow Jane, sounds totally yummy!!!