Description
This fudgy and ultra moist vegan chocolate zucchini cake is made in just one bowl and can be baked as either a sheet cake or layer cake. Topped with a rich dairy free chocolate sour cream frosting, this easy vegan cake is the best way to use up your zucchini!
Ingredients
Scale
- 240 g grated zucchini, patted down to 170 g
- 1 1/4 cup (300 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup (350 g) organic granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (170 g) dairy free yogurt, room temperature*
- 3 cups (375 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour*
- 1 cup (90 g) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup (240 mL) hot coffee or decaf coffee or herbal coffee
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 g0 vegan sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup (170 g) melted vegan chocolate, cooled to room temperature
- 4-6 cups sifted vegan powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (25 g) cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9×9 or 9×13″ sheet cake pan, or three 8 inch or 6-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Prep the zucchini and the vegan buttermilk. Set aside.
- Whisk: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vegan butter, sugar, brown sugar, and dairy free yogurt. Add in the zucchini, and whisk until combined. Then sift in the flour, along with the cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
- Finish the batter: Add in the vegan buttermilk and begin to whisk all the ingredients together. Before the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, add in the hot coffee, and either whisk or use a silicone spatula to finish folding the batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake the cake. For a 9×9 pan, bake for 50-55 minutes. For a 9×13 pan, bake for 40-45 minutes. For three 6″ cakes, it will take 45-50 minutes; for three 8″ cakes, it will take 32-35 minutes. The cakes are finished when the top is completely set and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven.
- Cool: Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting (about 1-2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is).
- When ready to assemble: Once the cakes are cool, prepare the chocolate frosting. Cream together the vegan butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add in the sour cream, and mix again, followed by the melted and cooled vegan chocolate. Continue mixing until you achieve a consistent mixture. Then add in the powdered sugar in 2 cup increments, followed by the cocoa powder. Continue mixing until fluffy, stopping the mixer to scrape the bottom as needed. Frost the cake when ready!
- Slice and serve: Slice and serve your vegan chocolate zucchini cake. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Dairy free yogurt: You can also substitute in an equal amount of applesauce or pumpkin puree.
Gluten free: I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 baking flour in the blue bag. Use the cup measurements rather than the gram measurements for the gluten free flour blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 424
- Sugar: 50.6 g
- Sodium: 509.4 mg
- Fat: 13.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 79.4 g
- Fiber: 5.4 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg