Yesterday I made a cake from one of the larger zucchini harvested from our garden. I really enjoy zucchini bread but I felt like making something chocolate. The orange juice and zest in the cream cheese frosting is a nice note against the chocolate -I think. You won’t even know the zucchini is in the cake once it’s baked- it just makes a nice, dark, moist cake.
Zucchini Double Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 4 ounces of melted Guittard Oban chocolate (or other good quality unsweetened chocolate)
- 1/4 pound of butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa ( I prefer Valrhona but any good quality is fine)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 packed cups of coarsely grated zucchini, wash first and grate without peeling)
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Mix the oil and melted chocolate and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Mix in the oil/melted chocolate. Mix the flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and using a whisk mix them all well so no cocoa lumps remain. Add the buttermilk and mix to smooth then stir in the zucchini and nuts. Spread in a 9 x 13 baking pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top and bake in preheated 350F oven for about 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then frost- either the whole cake or individual pieces- but once frosted it must be refrigerated due to the cream cheese in the frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting with Orange
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup softened butter
- 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
- zest from one whole orange, finely grated
- juice from 1/2 orange or just enough to get the texture you like
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or in a bowl with a hand-mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter together and add the powdered sugar in a steady stream while your mixer runs. Add the zest, orange juice and vanilla extract and beat well. Use to frost or refrigerate until ready to use.
Enjoy!
Hi Iris,
Thanks for your comment and for catching my typo in the recipe. Yes it should read 1/3 Cup buttermilk. I will correct it. I hope you enjoy the cake if you are making it.
Cheers,
Gabi
i take it the one third buttermilk means one third of a cup of buttermilk? i know you probably say that differently where you live. you must excuse the brits for not knowing these things. thanks. iris
Hi Karen,
I don’t know how computer savy you are so excuse this if it’s too fundamental.
If you use a PC you can highlight (click and hold down the left mouse button until everything you want from the post is highlighted)starting with the text below the first picture and then “right click” your mouse, choose “copy” and then paste it into a Word document or choose “print” and then choose “selection” in the printer window. Hope that helps.
Gabi
I can’t get this to print lower than the zucchini. What am I doing wrong?
Lauren- Thanks! 🙂
Veronica- Thanks try some!
thanks for stopping by xox
I’ve never had a zucchini chocolate cake but I hear they are delicious and yours definitely looks yummy!
I insanely love zucchini chocolate cake. Cream Cheese frosting on it is the best idea ever!
Maybelle’s Mom- Thanks hope you make it sometime 🙂
Ah Marie- turn about’s fair play 🙂 xoxo
Gabi, You’re killin me!!
What a great idea. I hate those giant ones so this is good to have on file.