How to make a quick and easy gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake that’s moist and delicious. Rich and decadent chocolate dessert that’s best served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a big dollop of whipped cream!
This chocolate zucchini cake is like a cross between my gluten-free chocolate sheet cake and classic gluten-free zucchini bread recipe. And just like zucchini bread, you really can't tell that there's any zucchini in there!
Speaking of zucchini bread, I think this recipe would make the best gluten-free chocolate zucchini muffins, just like my favorite gluten-free zucchini muffins recipe…
This gluten-free zucchini chocolate cake is so much fun to make, and it's truly moist, light and fluffy with loads of rich chocolate flavor. Remember, you can be gluten-free and still eat your cake too!
Why Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- It's super easy to make, and besides the bake time, you can whip up this fudgy chocolate zucchini cake in 10 minutes or less!
- This recipe is gluten-free, and I guarantee that you won't be able to tell! Gluten-free doesn't have to taste bad; in fact, the key is in using a quality cup for cup gluten-free flour blend. I'll explain in more detail in the recipe below.
- This is a one bowl recipe, which keeps kitchen cleanup to the bare minimum, and you don't need any fancy tools or equipment to make it. I predict that this recipe will become a family favorite in no time.
- Thanks to the shredded zucchini and the fact that this recipe is gluten-free, this is actually a reasonably healthy chocolate zucchini cake recipe. Did you know that zucchini is rich in vitamin B6, vitamin A, potassium, folate and numerous cancer-preventing compounds, like zeaxanthin? Zucchini is well-known for reducing oxidative stress, which is great for your overall health. If you'd like to learn more, here's a great article on the various health benefits of zucchini.
- You really can't taste the zucchini when used in baked goods, so this is a great recipe for kids and other picky eaters that may be less apt to eat their vegetables. Zucchini just has a way of masking itself in this gluten-free zucchini cake, and it adds a lot of valuable nutrition that wouldn't otherwise be there. It's kind of a no-brainer, right?!
- Chocolate zucchini cake is a budget-friendly dessert. In fact, you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
This gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake uses pretty simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand…
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour – I almost always use Authentic Foods Classical Blend gluten-free flour. Time and time again, this flour blend has given me the best results and gluten-free baked goods that taste no different than the original. Do keep in mind that different gluten-free flours can give different results. As always, be sure to check all of your other ingredients over to ensure that they are truly gluten-free. And all that aside, if gluten is not a concern to you, feel free to substitute 1:1 with regular all-purpose flour.
- Xanthan Gum – I add xanthan gum to my flour to help give the cake a leavening agent. Some flours already contain xanthan gum, so be sure to check the ingredients before adding more. Too much xanthan gum and/or baking powder can give the cake a soapy flavor. If you use regular all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour, you can omit the xanthan gum entirely for this recipe, as it's not needed with gluten-containing flours.
- Sea Salt – Of course you can use table salt, but I love the flavor of this “real” Redmond sea salt.
- Cinnamon – I just use ground cinnamon in this zucchini chocolate cake. If you're looking for some extra spice, drop in a pinch of ground nutmeg.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – I prefer 100% natural unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. Bonus points if you use my favorite dark chocolate cocoa powder!
- Cane Sugar – While as I prefer to use organic cane sugar, you can also just use granulated sugar.
- Eggs – We usually use eggs from our own free range chickens. If you don't have chickens, pasture-raised eggs (or any egg) from the store will work just fine!
- Unsalted Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter for this cake, but if you have to use salted butter, just be sure to reduce the actual salt in the recipe by about 1/8 teaspoon. If you can't eat dairy, I recommend substituting 1:1 with a vegan butter, like this dairy free plant-based butter. If you go this route, just be sure to check all of the other ingredients over to ensure that they are truly dairy-free.
- Vanilla Extract – I always use a 100% real vanilla extract, but imitation vanilla works too.
- Shredded Zucchini – I'm a firm believer that shredded, fresh zucchini is best for this recipe. If you don't know how, here's a great tutorial on how to shred zucchini. Homegrown is always better, so we try to grow at least a few zucchini plants in our vegetable garden every year, but you can also get good fresh zucchini from the local farmer's market during the summer months. Try to look for a firm zucchini that is unblemished and unbruised, with a smooth, dark green outer skin. The smaller the zucchini you can find, the better. When it gets too big, zucchini can often become tough and bitter. All that said, if you just can't get your hands on any fresh zucchini, you can also buy zucchini spirals from the frozen section at most grocery stores.
- Chopped Walnuts – I absolutely love the chopped walnuts in this recipe. If you don't have any walnuts on hand, chopped pecans make a great chocolate zucchini cake!
You can find the full ingredients and instructions for this recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Before making the cake, preheat your oven to 350ºF, lightly spray a 13×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Now let's get started…
How to Make the Cake
- Start by whisking the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cocoa powder and the sugar together in a large bowl.
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed together, add the wet ingredients, including the eggs, butter and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined. I really love my electric mixer for this step!
- Finally, add the shredded zucchini and chopped walnuts, using a spatula to fold them into the cake batter until well mixed. Be sure to stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl into the batter every now and again as you fold.
- Once everything you've mixed everything together well, spread the chocolate cake batter into the cake pan that you greased up in the first step. Now it's ready to bake.
Baking and Serving Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes at 350ºF, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Once it has completely cooled, your gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake is ready to serve. I like to dust the top of the cake with a little bit of powdered sugar followed by a big dollop of whipped cream. Then you can enjoy your cake with a pile of fresh, sliced strawberries!
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
Yes! You'll want to swap out the unsalted butter with a vegan butter of your choice, like this dairy-free plant-based butter. Other than that, most of the other ingredients should be naturally dairy-free. Just as with gluten, it's always to best check the ingredient labels over to ensure that they are truly dairy-free.
Most gluten-free cakes turn out dry because they were overcooked. Because chocolate zucchini cake is thinner than most cakes, it can be much more prone to over-baking. If you want a moist cake, bake it at 350ºF for about 50-60 minutes, and the cake has fully baked only when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Some gluten-free flours can also make a dry and crumbly cake. This is why I love the Authentic Foods Classical Blend cup for cup gluten-free flour. Time and time again, it has yet to fail me. You really cannot be too picky when it comes to gluten-free flours.
This is usually because the cake is undercooked. Oftentimes chocolate cake can appear to be fully baked on the outside even when it has not set up properly. However, the it will then fall within a few minutes of pulling it out of the oven. This is why it's so important not to pull your cake out of the oven until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Chocolate zucchini cake stores best in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. After that, it'll start to dry and eventually go stale.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate zucchini cake. Stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, it should keep for up to 3 months before it goes bad. Because chocolate zucchini cake has so much moisture, I've found that it tends to last longer than most other cakes.
Recipe Variations
- Add a frosting! You can use any flavor you like, but I think this milk chocolate buttercream frosting was made for chocolate zucchini cake. Take things a step further and use the chocolate frosting to make this into a gluten-free chocolate zucchini layer cake!
- For all the Harry Potter fans reading this post, this cake would go really well with homemade Butterbeer frosting.
- As I voiced earlier on in the post, I think this recipe would make the best chocolate zucchini muffins or cupcakes! Simply pour the cake batter into cupcake liners instead of the large baking pan. Then knock the baking time down a little bit to account for the smaller size of the muffins/cupcakes. Frost, serve and enjoy!
- I mentioned serving this chocolate zucchini cake with fresh sliced strawberries, but you can use any fruit really. Think sliced bananas, raspberries, cherries, or even Mandarin oranges. Add a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy!
- Drizzle the top with caramel sauce and sprinkle on a few more chopped walnuts. You'll never want it any other way!
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
If you're looking for more delicious recipes that just so happen to be gluten-free, here are a few of my favorites…
- If you liked this zucchini cake, I know you'll love this easy gluten-free dairy-free banana bread recipe. It's a longtime favorite in my family!
- Speaking of banana bread, I really love this gluten-free chocolate chip banana bread loaf.
- Not in the mood for chocolate? Try making these gluten-free vanilla cupcakes. They're quick and easy, and they're moist and delicious with tons of sweet vanilla flavor.
- Gluten-free pumpkin muffins are a great fall-themed dessert, and they're pretty easy to make.
- I just love this recipe for scrumptious gluten-free blondies. Blondies have the gooey, melt-in-your-mouth texture of a brownie and the irresistibly rich flavor of a chocolate chip cookie. It's amazing!
- This gluten-free lemon pound cake is moist, light and fluffy with tons of bright citrus flavor. Best served with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea!
- Although it's not technically a gluten-free recipe, you could easily make this homemade yellow cake mix gluten-free by simply swapping out the flour with a gluten-free flour!
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. And subscribe to my email list too!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Equipment
- Electric Stand Mixer optional
- cake tester optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour*
- 1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum*
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups cane sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter*
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded zucchini fresh
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350ºF and lightly spray a 13×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Next, whisk the flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cocoa powder and the sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
- Once the dry ingredients are mixed together, add the eggs, butter and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
- Finally, add the shredded zucchini and chopped walnuts, using a spatula to fold them into the cake batter until well mixed. Be sure to stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl into the batter every now and again as you fold.
- Once everything is mixed together well, spread the chocolate cake batter into the baking dish that you greased up in the first step.
- Bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes at 350ºF, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Once it has completely cooled, your gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake is ready to serve and enjoy! I like to dust mine with a little bit of powdered sugar followed by a big dollop of whipped cream on top.
