Homemade chocolate zucchini cake
Zucchini cake is a great option when you want to bake something moist but not too heavy. Cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate flavor, while grated zucchini keeps the cake soft even the next day.
Why does zucchini cake work so well?
Zucchini won’t turn your cake green or make it taste like vegetables. In fact, most people won’t even notice it’s there. Grated zucchini adds moisture to the batter and helps keep the cake lovely and soft, especially once it has cooled.
The chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder. The original recipe uses Cocoa powder (CocoVi) 50g, which gives the cake a deeper chocolate flavor. Walnuts add crunch and make each slice a little more nutritious.
This isn’t a dry fitness cake that you need coffee to wash down. It’s more of a homemade loaf cake with a slightly smarter mix of ingredients than usual: oat flour, honey, zucchini, nuts and a moderate amount of butter. The simple truth is that when a sweet bake also provides a little dietary fiber and protein, it helps keep you feeling satisfied.
Zucchini cake: ingredients
Before you start, take the farmhouse butter out of the fridge, as the recipe calls for room-temperature butter. Grate the zucchini using the small or medium holes of a grater. If the zucchini is very watery, you can squeeze it gently, but don’t squeeze it completely dry. The moisture is the whole point here.
- Oat flour 180g
- Egg 1
- Farmhouse butter (room temperature) 85g
- Honey 150g
- Cocoa powder (CocoVi) 50g
- Zucchini (grated) 175g
- Walnuts 100g
- Milk 2.5% 25g
- Baking powder 1 tsp
- Baking soda 0.75 tsp
- Vanilla extract 1 tsp
- Cinnamon 0.5 tsp
- Salt 0.25 tsp
Oat flour gives the cake a slightly more rustic texture than wheat flour. It works well with the chocolate flavor, holding its own without being too delicate or bland. Honey adds sweetness and also helps retain moisture. If your honey has set, warm it briefly, but don’t let it get hot.
How to make zucchini cake
The most important thing is not to overmix the batter. Once you’ve added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mix only until you can no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing makes the cake dense.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Mix the honey and butter. Add the eggs, zucchini, milk and nuts. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to a loaf pan and bake in a 180-degree oven for an hour, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you use a metal pan, the cake may bake a little faster. In a thicker silicone pan, the center may stay soft for longer. The skewer test is the best way to check: if the skewer comes out with wet batter on it, the cake needs more time; if it comes out clean or with just a couple of crumbs, the cake is ready.
Let the cake rest before slicing. Of course, it smells best while it’s warm, but the inside may crumble if you cut it too soon. Once cooled, the cake holds its shape better, and the chocolate, cinnamon and nut flavors come through more clearly.
Practical tips and nutritional information
This recipe works well for baking ahead. Make the cake in the evening, and you’ll have a quick bite to enjoy with your morning coffee or a snack to take to work. Keep it covered so the surface doesn’t dry out. If your home is cool, the cake keeps well on the kitchen counter, but put it in the fridge for longer storage.
You can roughly chop the nuts before adding them to the batter. This helps distribute them more evenly and gives every slice a pleasant texture. If you prefer a smoother cake, chop the nuts more finely. Grate the zucchini as evenly as possible, as large pieces can stay wet during baking.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: per 1 slice (15 in total)
- Kcal 177
- Fat 10
- Protein 4
- Carbohydrate 18
- Dietary fiber 2
What does that mean in practice? One slice gives you something sweet without a huge calorie load. Still, remember that the nuts, butter and honey make this an energy-dense cake. If your goal is weight loss, cut yourself a slice and put the rest away. That way, half the loaf won’t disappear before you know it.
FAQ: zucchini cake
Can you taste the zucchini in the cake?
Usually not. Zucchini mainly adds moisture. The cocoa powder, honey, cinnamon and walnuts are the more prominent flavors.
Can you eat this cake on a training day?
Yes, if it fits into your daily diet. It’s more of a sweet snack than a food specifically for training, but one slice works well with coffee or after a regular meal, for example.
How do you keep the cake moist?
Don’t overbake it or leave it uncovered. Once the cake has cooled, cover it or put it in a container. This will keep the inside soft even the next day.
Author:Turg.Fitness.ee
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