Moist, decadent Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake made with zucchini, cottage cheese, and whole grain flour. Then topped with easy, wholesome chocolate frosting for pure chocolate bliss!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When I made my healthy zucchini cake we, and you, loved it so much that I couldn’t resist making a chocolate version. And wow, this healthy chocolate zucchini cake recipe delivered!
It’s fudgy, moist, and full of rich chocolate flavor that honestly tastes more decadent than healthy. The zucchini, cottage cheese, and whole grain flour give it the perfect texture that feels like real cake, but it’s the healthy chocolate frosting that really steals the show! I tested this recipe twice and found that using 3/4 of the is just the right amount without going overboard.
And as a nice bonus, each slice of this chocolate zucchini cake packs 9 grams of protein for a healthy dessert! Let’s make it!
Ingredients for Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Cottage cheese: Adds protein, moisture, and creaminess to keep the cake soft and tender. Full-fat cottage cheese works best for extra richness, but you can use any.
- Egg: You’ll only need 1 egg to help bind the ingredients together.
- Zucchini: Grated and measured, don’t squeeze!
- Avocado oil: Keeps the cake soft and fudgy. If you don’t have avocado oil, any neutral tasting oil works just fine.
- Sweetener: Naturally sweetened with maple syrup, or swap in honey if you prefer.
- Cacao powder: Dark, fudgy chocolate flavor without any processed sugar. You can use regular cocoa powder instead.
- Baking essentials: Pure vanilla for flavor, baking powder and soda for lift, and salt to bring out the chocolate.
- Whole wheat flour: Boosts fiber and nutrients while giving the cake structure. You can also use spelt flour.
- Chocolate frosting: Use full fat coconut milk from a can that’s not grainy – very important! Good brands are Thai kitchen, it’s failproof! Also dark chocolate chips, a splash of vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Follow the Recipe
I haven’t tried any substitutions, and with a cake this delicate, it’s best to follow the recipe.
How to Make Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This healthy chocolate zucchini cake is really easy. My biggest tip is to use a metal baking pan so it bakes evenly!
- Make the frosting: Warm the coconut milk until just simmering, stir in chocolate, vanilla, and salt until smooth, then chill in the fridge 3-4 hours to set.
- Blend wet ingredients: Combine cottage cheese and egg, and blend until smooth.
- Make the batter: Pour into a large bowl then add zucchini shreds, oil, syrup, cacao, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk everything together.
- Add the flour: Stir in the flour with a spatula just until it’s combined.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment on the bottom and sprayed with cooking spray. Smooth the top and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely: Let the cake cool for 2-3 hours.
- Frost the cake: Whip the frosting until fluffy, then spread about 3/4 on top. Smooth it out or add patterns, whatever looks good to you. Slice with a sharp knife and enjoy!
Frosting Tip
Let the cake cool completely before frosting, and don’t over whip the frosting. If it feels a bit runny from a warm kitchen, pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes before frosting.
Tips for Best Results
My chocolate cake with zucchini is super moist and decadent thanks to these tips and tricks.
- Don’t swap the flour: Whole wheat or spelt flour give the cake the perfect texture, any other flour will not work.
- Use good canned coconut milk: To make sure it is smooth and whips! Use only from a can, not a carton. Make sure it has smooth and not grainy texture – often it will contain guar gum which is what you want. I have tried Thai kitchen, Compliments and Rooster brands with great success!
- Use metal baking pan: A metal pan heats and cools fast, so your cake browns evenly and stays nice and tender.
- If using ceramic or glass baking dish: Drop the oven temperature by 25 F, watch it closely, and don’t let the cake sit in the dish too long. Between them, I’d go with ceramic.
- Don’t overbake: Pull the cake out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean so it doesn’t dry out.
Variations and Cake Sizes
- Different frosting: Chocolate cake is also good with healthy cream cheese frosting, Greek yogurt frosting or chocolate ganache.
- Additions: You can mix in things like chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or dried fruit to make the cake your own. Just fold them in gently.
- Double the recipe: Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Make extra frosting to cover the larger cake.
- Layer cake: Split the batter between 2 or 3 round 8 or 9-inch pans and bake 26-32 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely, then frost between the layers and on top.
- Bundt cake: Every pan and oven is a little different, so start checking at 50 minutes. If it’s browning too fast on top, just loosely cover with tinfoil.
How to Store
Store: Put the frosted cake in an airtight container and into the refrigerator within 2 hours. It will keep for 4-5 days.
Freeze: Freeze the cake, frosted or unfrosted, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To freeze slices, chill on parchment for 30 minutes, then wrap each in plastic wrap and store in a container. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
More Chocolate Recipes to Try
- Healthy zucchini brownies
- Healthy chocolate zucchini bread
- Healthy chocolate cake
- Healthy chocolate bread
Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Video
Ingredients
For the Frosting:
- 14 ounces can coconut milk, full fat
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
For the Cake:
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups grated zucchini, not squeezed
- 1/3 cup avocado oil, or any neutral oil
- 1 cup maple syrup, or honey
- 3/4 cup cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Make the frosting: In a medium pot, warm up coconut milk (cream and clear liquid) just until it starts to boil but not boiling. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, vanilla extract, salt, and whisk until smooth. It will be runny. Place right in the pot in the fridge to solidify, for 3-4 hours.
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line just the bottom of 8″x8″ baking dish with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a blender, add cottage cheese and egg, blend until smooth.
- Pour into a large bowl, along with zucchini, oil, maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well.
- Add flour and stir with spatula just until combined.
- Transfer batter into prepared baking dish, level with spatula and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature or completely, takes about 2-3 hours.
- Assemble the cake: Scoop frosting into a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer just until fluffy.
- Transfer only 3/4 of the frosting on top of the cake and spread with a spatula, add patterns or decorate how you wish. Refrigerate or freeze remainder in an airtight container for up to 3 months and use as you like. You can top cake with all of it but I found it to be a bit too much.
- Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 slices and enjoy!
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate frosted cake within 2 hours of frosting in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for keeping it simple. Some articles overcomplicate things.
I’d love to try the chocolate zucchini cake however a cup of honey or of maple syrup is too expensive for me. Is there anyway I can do it with another ingredient?
You can use any liquid sweetener instead. It has to be a liquid one as that’s how recipe has been developed.
Can I use oat flour instead of spelt bread?
You would have to substitute by weight. Here is a post how to do it. Keep in mind it hasn’t been tested.
Can’t wait to try this one!
Hope you like it!