A glut of zucchini from the garden gives this gluten-free chocolate courgette cake a beautiful moist texture - a great way to use up seasonal zucchini squash.
"Courgette" Zucchini
"Courgette" zucchini is a summer squash that grows in abundance and is one of the most versatile vegetables for culinary. They can be grated into baked goods such as banana zucchini muffins, cakes, and zucchini cookies - or fried, zoodled, roasted, grilled, braised, or eaten raw in salads. And they look absolutely gorgeous blooming in the garden with their large golden yellowish-orange blossoms.
Spiralised ‘courgetti’ is great served as low carb pasta with marinara or lightly fried into coconut crab pasta bowls.
Grated they pair beautifully with sweet flavors and add lovely moisture to chocolate courgette cake. Try this cake topped with our buttercream frosting or chocolate ganache recipe!
Courgette in Chocolate Cake
This cake is rich with chocolate flavors and pleasantly moist from grated zucchini. It's what makes a chocolate zucchini cake so great and popular! We use all natural coconut sugar and gluten-free flours - a healthier version than most traditional chocolate zucchini cake recipes.
What is chocolate zucchini cake made of?
Recipe Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- coconut oil melted
- applesauce
- coconut sugar
- vanilla extract
- grated zucchini with the water squeezed out first
- gluten-free flour blend
- unsweetened cocoa powder (choose a really good dutch process cocoa for the best flavor - I suggest this Organic Dutch Process Cocoa Powder)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- salt (we use pink Himalayan)
- semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate
How to make Chocolate Courgette Cake
Make the Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted coconut oil, apple sauce, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini until blended. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk together until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Divide the batter between the two large pans.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely in the pans on a cooling rack, then turn them out on the cooling rack until ready to use (make sure it is completely cooled before icing).
How to make the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
This recipe for a cream cheese buttercream icing is also found here. We love using it on all most all of our cakes because it is just so darn tasty and easy!
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly beat in the sugar on low speed then on high until smooth and spreadable.
Icing Courgette Cake
Once the cake is cooled, using a spatula ice the cake in-between the cake layers and on the top and sides. Use a piping bag for making decorations with extra icing.
Tips for Cake Success
- Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the zucchini after it is grated - then measure it in the measuring cup.
- Make sure the chocolate courgette cake is completely cooled or almost completely cooled before removing it from the pan. Otherwise it tends to break when warm.
- Make sure freshly baked chocolate courgette cake is completely cooled before icing it. Otherwise the cake will slightly fall apart and crumbs will flow into the icing as it is being spread. I have found if you chill the cake once it is cooled for a bit before icing then it is easier to add the frosting.
Storing Courgette Cake
Properly store the cake in a cake container on the counter for 1-2 days. How long does zucchini cake last in the fridge? For longer, store it in the refrigerator in a cake container for up to 1 week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grated zucchini adds moisture and binds baked goods together in the same way banana and applesauce does. It is the perfect addition to gluten-free baking to make a healthy chocolate courgette cake moist.
Use a small or medium size zucchini for baking. It is easier to grate and has more moisture which is what you want in cake batter and bread batter.
Courgette and zucchini are the same thing - a vegetable summer squash. Courgette is the word in French.
Favorite Dessert and Zucchini Recipes
If you make this chocolate courgette cake recipe from Delightful Mom Food I would love to see your creations and share it! Follow along with me on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and TWITTER to be featured and for more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below.
Chocolate Courgette Cake (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Chocolate Courgette Cake
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 2 cups coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups grated zucchini water squeezed out first
- 2 ⅓ cups gluten-free flour blend
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt (we use pink Himalayan)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter ghee, or plant-based butter - room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese or whipped cream cheese for less fat
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar (for a keto buttercream icing recipe, use Swerve powdered sugar which is sugar-free)
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, melted coconut oil, apple sauce, sugar, vanilla, and zucchini until blended. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and whisk together until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter between the two large pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans on a cooling rack, then turn them out on the cooling rack until ready to use (make sure it is completely cooled before icing).
Make the Icing
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly beat in the sugar on low speed then on high until smooth and spreadable.
Add the Icing to the Cake
- Once the cake is cooled, using a spatula ice the cake in-between the cake layers and on the top and sides. Use a piping bag for making decorations with extra icing.
Notes
Nutrition
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