Chocolate zucchini cake may be the only way I’ll eat something green for dessert.

chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting

Oh hi!!

I’m here with another sheet cake. This one has vegetables! Does that mean we can eat it for dinner? Maybe pretend it’s good for us?

Yes let’s try.

chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting

So! I’ve done wacky things with zucchini before. This whole wheat zucchini snack cake is excellent! It’s different from this in that it’s not quite as rich, though the topping could give this a run for its money. 

A few years ago I did make chocolate fudge zucchini cupcakes with avocado fudge frosting. Those are deeeelish. Unbeatable!

This is kind of like that, but made in cake form.

chocolate zucchini cake batter

And with, OF COURSE, cream cheese frosting. Yes, it’s the only frosting I deem worthy of eating at the moment. It’s just so darn good. You could also use mascarpone in its place. I’m making it with mascarpone on instagram stories today – go take a peek!

frosting on chocolate zucchini sheet cake

Can you believe I didn’t really care for zucchini bread (or anything like that) when I was a kid? In my defense, it wasn’t because of the vegetable – it was because of the nuts. Pretty much all zucchini breads I was served as a child had nuts in them. And I am a strict no-nuts in desserts type of person.

You know?

chocolate cream cheese icing

Okay, that has changed slightly. I mean, I just showed you a dessert with nuts on top. But still! You know what I mean. I don’t really want nuts in my classic cookies or brownies and certainly not my quick breads. No thank you. 

chocolate shavings

Eventually I did come around. I was served theeeee absolute best slice of zucchini bread and it just flipped a switch. Now I love making all the things with zucchini, be it sweet or savory. Especially come August and September when gardens are overflowing. I personally don’t grow zucchini, but I’m lucky enough to be given a bunch to put to good use. 

chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting

This is the perfect weekend cake! Make it today and snack on it for the next few days. It stays tender and moist from the zucchini, but we are also cake-in-the-fridge people so you can store it in there too. 

Mix it up mostly in one bowl, bake and make your frosting, then cover with chocolate shavings or sprinkles or something to fancy it up.

chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting

Then grab a fork!

chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Chocolate zucchini cake is a perfect way to use up that garden zucchini! Frost with chocolate cream cheese icing and you're in heaven.
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Ingredients

chocolate cream cheese frosting

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking sheet or dish with nonstick baking spray.
  • Grate the zucchini, place it on a towel and sprinkle it with a pinch of salt. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you make the rest of the cake.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until combined and smooth. Fold in the zucchini.
  • Spread the batter in the greased pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set in the center. Let cool completely before frosting. If you’d like to remove the cake from the pan before frosting, let it cool for 30 minutes in the pan then gently invert.

chocolate cream cheese frosting

  • Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Beat in the sugar and cocoa powder powder until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Frost the cooled cake! I like to keep the cake in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting - plus we love cold cake.

Notes

adapted from simply recipes
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chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting

Look at the crumb!