Indulgent and tender Chocolate Zucchini Cake with a great texture and a hint of orange dancing in the background.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Prep Time 1hour
Cook Time 35minutes
Cooling time 4hours
Total Time 5hours35minutes
Servings 12slices
Calories 642kcal
Author Cathy
Ingredients
Cake:
2-1/2cupsall-purpose flour
1/2cupunsweetened cocoa, sifted
2-1/2tspsbaking powder
1-1/2tspsbaking soda
1tsptable salt
1 tspground cinnamon
3/4cupbutter, softened
1-1/2cupsgranulated sugar
3largeeggs, room temperature
2tspsvanilla extract
zest of one orange
1/2cupwhole milk
2cupsshredded or grated zucchini
1cupchopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting:
2(8 oz packages)cream cheese, room temperature
1/2cupbutter, softened
1tspvanilla extract
2cupsconfectioners' sugar, sifted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour to 8-inch baking pans. Set aside.
In a medium-size bowl whisk together flour, cocoa (sifted), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer or a regular mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about three minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until each is fully combined. Continue to mix adding vanilla extract and the zest of one orange.
Add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with whole milk; begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix on low speed only until combined. Don't overmix. Fold in zucchini and nuts with a spatula.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle returns clean. Let cakes cool for five minutes in the pan and then flip them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Once the cakes have cooled, make the Cream Cheese Frosting. In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract. Once combined continue to beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed. (If not using right away, place frosting in the refrigerator.)
Frost completely cooled cake and place cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
You can also make this cake in a 9 x 13 pan without the layers. Baking time will increase.