Chocolate and zucchini cake is an all-time favourite, but to those who haven't heard of the combination (or tasted it), it may seem as weird as combining beetroot with chocolate. It works, however, and I for one am not going to argue it is not a winning pair.
A home filled with the sweet scent of chocolate is a perfect start for a lazy Sunday.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
3-4 zucchini (about 250g grated)
120g walnuts, coarsely chopped
450g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
180g 70% dark chocolate
225g brown sugar
4 large free-range eggs
125ml vegetable oil or melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
250ml buttermilk
Preheat your oven to 180C and grease a large cake tin (23 cm).
Squeeze out excess water of the zucchini and combine with walnuts. Sift the dry ingredients, except the sugar, into a bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and set aside. Using electric beaters, beat the eggs, sugar and oil until light and fluffy. Beat in the chocolate and the vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately. Lastly fold in the zucchini and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool on wire rack, then dust with icing sugar to serve.
What a gorgeously moist cake! Its texture is splendid.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Looks very moist. I like zucchini cake, but have never tried chocolate zucchini cake, yummy!
ReplyDeletezuchinni and chocolate? i wouldnt have in a million years combine them together, But looking at your pictures and your approval, i think i will give them a try!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous zucchini cake! So moist and chocolatey! I love it.
ReplyDeleteOnpa kaunis kakku! Olen tehnyt kesäkurpitsakakkua ja muffineita,mutta en vielä suklaisia sellaisia.Pitääkin kokeilla!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but that does sound weird!! At least you can't see the zucchini hehehe... I'd eat that, it looks like a super moist chocolate and walnut cake!
ReplyDeleteI saw this millions of times but I still can't bake it...Maybe if I taste it first... ^_^
ReplyDeleteYour pics are stunning as usual...
Buona Domenica!!!
this looks great. it's JUST what i feel like.
ReplyDeletesigh.
You know I've never tasted this combination! I should be trying it soon! Your cake looks so moist and tempting!
ReplyDeleteI like weird. I like this. But, I don't think zucchini & chocolate is weird.
ReplyDelete:D
Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThis looks really delicious, although i have tried zucchini in cakes (and love it), i'm not sure i've seen it with chocolate, sounds interesting.
ReplyDeletewow! that is beautiful and looks soooo good!
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely!
ReplyDeleteI made a chocolate zucchini once for my family and my brother will never let me forget it. He hates zucchini and was so angry that I tricked him into eating it! (And liking it.) Gorgeous cake!
ReplyDeleteI was initially turned off by the post title (zucchini particularly :p) but when I those photos, I was thinking "can this ever taste awful", it's gorgeous! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a delicious cake! I never heard of this combination. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so moist and decadent.I have not heard of this classic combo ever.Good one.
ReplyDeleteSundays are tailor made for decadent desserts and lazing around. This looks absolutely delicious and I can pretend it's healthy because it has zucchini! Genius.
ReplyDeletexoxo
bianca
This makes me think of my grandma and my aunt. They both have huge gardens that turn out pounds of zucchini each year. What to do? Bake chocolate zucchini loaves -- some with walnuts, some with no walnuts but chocolate chips. A summertime treat I always look forward to. Love that your beautiful cake uses brown sugar, olive oil and buttermilk. I would think yogurt could be subbed for the buttermilk as well.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
*Heather*
I'm growing zucchini in my garden this year, so I'm definitely going to book mark this recipe for when I have a huge supply waiting to be eaten!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother always made a chocolate zucchini loaf in the middle of summer, when we had way to much zucchnini. I love it! Yours looks beautiful, and so similar... although I slimmed down my grandmother's recipe a bit, and love it as cupcakes or muffins: http://cozydelicious.com/2010/06/13/my-grandmothers-chocolate-zucchini-loaf/
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't seem fair that you get to be this awesome! When is your cookbook coming out? ;)
ReplyDeletelooks gr8 maria!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I like the combo of chocolate and zucchini. it works very well together.
ReplyDeleteThis one might be my first zucchini cake ever. Looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteZucchini in a chocolate cake? Wow.
ReplyDeleteThe zucchini makes such a great addition. You don't even really know it's there, but it lends such great moistness to the cake.
ReplyDeleteOh man, you post this now - after I used the last of my garden zucchinis!! :( Damnit! This has now just been bookmarked in the hopes that I'll get a few more zuchs from my plants before they die so I can give this a whirl...
ReplyDeleteI think you read my mind because I was craving chocolate cake so bad yesterday I ended up making 5 Minute Mug Cake at 10 pm. SOOOOO GOOOD and easy- can't wait to share it with everyone!
ReplyDeleteThis cake looks entirely too delicious! I might eat the whole thing. Who wants to share chocolate cake? not me!
i reallly like the choc + zucchini combination as well coz the zuchhini keeps the cake nice and moist! yummmo!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this combination so many times but never tried it. I'm sure it works really well and it looks so delicious in your photos!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you snuck veggies in there! You have a knack for using veggies in fruits in the most unconventional and delicious ways. I'm really intrigued by all your recipes.
ReplyDeleteMMMMMMMMM,...chocolate combined with zucchini( courgettes ) must taste special & apart! Before I went gf, i loved white & wholegrain spelt flour a lot!
ReplyDeleteDivine pictures too!
Sounds like a great idea to use up my enormous yellow zucchini!
ReplyDeleteI've made zucchini cake before but not with chocolate, the addition sounds intriguing and quite delicious, I'll have to try it!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you can combine chocolate and vegetables to get something moist and delicious. I've eaten chocolate and beetroot brownies before, but I don't think I've ever had this particular combo. I imagine the moist zucchini and bitter chocolate really play off each other and combine beautifully.
ReplyDeleteDo you peel the zucchini before grating?
Thank you all for your comments!
ReplyDeleteThe cake was lovely and moist even a couple of days after I had baked it.
The Grubworm: No need to peel the zucchini before grating.
Maria
x
Dear Maria,
ReplyDeleteI tried your zucchini cake. It is so good that we can not keep ourselves having second slices. when I sliced it, I had exactly the same view as yours. The taste is very good arranged and the moist structure is very tempting :) thanks for sharing this recipe.
So excited to try this since zucchini is in season! Yum!
ReplyDeleteMade this today and totally yummy!! Only thing is that the batter was way too much to fit in one pan so had to use a second. Maybe operator error?! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteFantastic Recipie!! This is reminds me of when I was young, my mother used to make this all the time!!
ReplyDeleteKiitos!