Chocolate Zucchini Cake from a Cake Mix

Moist and delicious this easy cake recipe starts with an abundance of garden zucchini and a chocolate cake mix for a quick dessert any night of the week.

This isn’t so much about making cake healthy by adding veggies or even hiding vegetables inside cake as it is about making use of what is on hand in a tasty and simple way for frugal, homegrown, and homemade treats.

So when that garden zucchini gets a bit overwhelming grate it up for a chocolate cake that stays moist for days and is a decadent dessert.

Start with a Cake Mix

We tested this recipe with our homemade chocolate cake mix and it works like a dream.

We believe a store bought mix would also work, but can’t guarantee it especially as boxed mixes seem to be shrinking in size these days.

Extra Richness

Give the cake mix extra richness by adding sour cream, instead of milk, and an extra egg than in our plain chocolate cake recipe.

Optional Spices

Zucchini and cinnamon is a wonderful combination so we added some cinnnamon to the cake mix. Feel free to skip it or add something else you prefer instead like caradmom or nutmeg.

A bit of espresso powder gives a light mocha flavor to the cake but isn’t overpowering. Use it if you like coffee, skip if you don’t.

Shredded Zucchini

If you’re using fresh from the garden zucchini, shred it and let it sit in a wire mesh strainer while you get the rest of the cake ready. It’s not necessary to squeeze or salt it but allowing a little extra moisture to drip out can help.

You could likely swap out yellow summer squash if you had that on hand instead of zucchini.

Frozen Zucchini in Winter

If you want to make this cake in the winter and you have shredded zucchini in the freezer, you can make this cake by thawing and squeezing out the excess water before adding it to your cake.

The zucchini doesn’t have to be perfectly dry but you don’t want it sopping wet either.

Optional Frosting

We like cake with frosting around here and a basic chocolate frosting is perfect. Feel free to use whatever you like instead – plain vanilla, caramel, etc.

Skip the frosting and simply dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cake Shape

For ease, we baked this in a 9X13″ baking pan. It’s easy and portable this way, however; feel free to bake it in two 9″ round cake pans if desired, check for doneness a bit earlier.

A bundt pan could also likely work but may need more baking time than the recipe suggests.

How to Serve

There’s no reason to overthink this – serve as you would any cake. Slices with your favorite hot or cold beverage is perfect.

A little chocolate or vanilla ice cream with it is also quite lovely.

How to Store

The unfrosted cake will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature. If frosted, you will likely want to store in the fridge.

For longer term storage, the cake can be frozen. Simply cut into slice and place into freezer bags or containers. To freeze the entire cake, wrap it well in plastic wrap.

Thaw frozen cake on the counter or in the refrigerator prior to serving.

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