This one-bowl zucchini chocolate chip cake recipe is so fluffy and moist. You can leave out the chocolate chips for a simple, tasty cake!
One of my favorite parts of summer (and summer baking) is utilizing all the zucchini coming out of my garden. Enter this zucchini chocolate chip cake. It is quick and easy and so, so good!
One-Bowl Zucchini Cake Recipe
This cake is quickly and easily whipped up in one bowl. You don’t even need an electric mixer. Just get in there with a whisk or spatula.
A couple notes of particular importance:
- finely shred the zucchini (large shreds of zucchini can make the cake gummy-textured)
- you don’t need to wring any liquid out of the zucchini before using, however if the zucchini has been shredded in advance and a lot of liquid has pooled at the bottom, discard that liquid before using
- add the chocolate chips with the dry ingredients (this helps prevent the chocolate chips from sinking while baking)
Chocolate Chips are Optional
Yes, it pains me to admit that, because chocolate chips are life’s most glorious sustenance, however, it is true.
While this fluffy zucchini cake is phenomenal with chocolate chips, it’s also tremendously delicious without.
Sans chocolate chips, the subtle warmth of the cinnamon highlights how homey and delightful this cake really is.
No Frosting Necessary
During recipe testing, I made this cake four or five times with several different alterations to get it just right. One of the trials was frosting the cake with a whipped cream cheese frosting.
The frosting? Divine.
The cake? Exceptional.
Together? It just didn’t work.
Cream cheese frosting overpowers the delectable, simple cake and doesn’t jive overly well with the chocolate chips in the mix. This cake really is best plain and simple or with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Plus, without frosting, it seemed highly acceptable to eat this cake for breakfast (and dinner…and any time in between).
This ultra-simple zucchini chocolate chip cake is a winner. My daughter declared it her new favorite dessert and begged me to remember to make it for her birthday next April. 😉
If you’ve had this stellar chocolate zucchini cake, you’ll love this chocolate chip version. I took all the best notes of that chocolate cake recipe in order to make this chocolate chip zucchini cake optimally fluffy and delicious.
This zucchini cake is moist and tender and the perfect way to use up (or beg, steal or borrow) all the fresh zucchini flowing forth this time of year. I hope you love it!
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Fluffy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake
- 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (182 g) buttermilk (see note)
- ½ cup (98 g) neutral-flavored oil, like canola, vegetable, grapeseed
- 3 large (150 g) eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (253 g) finely shredded zucchini, about 2 medium zucchini (see note)
- 2 ¼ cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 to 1 ½ cups (170-255 g) semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting and serving (optional)
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan (preferably a metal, light-colored pan) and set aside. If using a glass pan or a dark coated metal pan, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla until well-combined. Stir in the zucchini.
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Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips (if using), and mix until all the ingredients are evenly combined and the dry streaks disappear (don’t over mix).
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Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch (adding time as needed, especially if using a glass pan and baking at a lower temperature).
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Let the cake cool completely. Cut into squares and serve. Optional: dust the top of the cake or individual pieces with powdered sugar before serving.
Buttermilk: my go-to substitute for store bought buttermilk is whisking together equal parts sour cream and milk.
Flour: this recipe works well as a one-bowl recipe as long as the flour you are using doesn’t have a lot of clumps. If it does, consider sifting in the flour (measure and then sift).
Serving: 1 piece of cake, Calories: 341kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 266mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 28g
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (modeled after this chocolate version)
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