Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Amish Recipe)

Amish Zucchini Chocolate Cake

Get ready to experience pure chocolate bliss with this irresistible, homemade, Amish double chocolate zucchini cake.

Picture a decadent creation, moist and rich, where velvety chocolaty goodness envelops every bite. This cake, baked to perfection, showcases a wonderfully dense and tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth.

But that's not all! This incredible cake is also topped with a silky chocolate ganache frosting that elevates it to new heights. Each forkful brings a burst of chocolaty bliss, leaving you craving just one more slice.

Zucchini Cake

Now, you might be thinking, "Hold on a minute! Are you saying that this delightful chocolate cake you were describing actually has zucchini in it?"

Indeed, you are correct! This recipe is for a special Amish Chocolate Cake that harmoniously combines both chocolate and zucchini in its batter.

The beautiful thing about zucchini is its ability to seamlessly blend into baked goods, remaining undetected unless one possesses particularly discerning taste buds.

How to Use up an Overabundance of Summer Zucchini

If you've ever grown zucchini in your garden, you're probably familiar with how quickly they produce (unless those pesky squash bugs ruin your plants).

There are jokes about the abundance of zucchini, like this one: "Having too many zucchinis is like a never-ending game of hide and seek. You keep searching for new ways to use them, but they always find a way to sneak back into your kitchen!" 🙂

These jokes reflect the common experience of gardeners dealing with an overwhelming surplus of zucchinis and their creative attempts to handle the situation.

The good news is that zucchini can be used in various savory dishes, as well as in delicious desserts.

Zucchini plays an impressive role in baked goods by adding moisture, tenderness, and a subtle sweetness from the vegetable itself.

When you incorporate zucchini into recipes such as cakes, quick bread, dessert bars, or muffins, it provides a moist texture and prevents the baked goods from becoming dry. It also adds a gentle touch of natural sweetness, enhancing the overall flavor.

Additionally, zucchini adds nutritional value, as it is a good source of fiber and various vitamins. Its mild flavor allows it to seamlessly blend into baked goods, making it a versatile and beneficial ingredient for creating tasty and healthier treats.

Ingredients

This luscious Amish cake recipe celebrates the essence of summer with fresh zucchini and everyday pantry ingredients.

Dry Ingredients

Flour: All-purpose flour is the foundation of this cake recipe.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: In this chocolate delight, we use unsweetened cocoa powder. It provides intense chocolate flavor without adding additional sweetness. (I prefer the special dark unsweetened cocoa powder.)

Baking Soda & Baking Powder: By using both baking soda and baking powder together, we take advantage of their unique characteristics and ensure optimal leavening throughout the baking process. This combination helps achieve a well-risen and moist chocolate zucchini cake.

Salt: Salt is the secret to achieving a well-balanced flavor.

Espresso Powder: To accentuate the chocolate flavor, espresso powder works wonders. It's optional, but highly recommended. Rest assured, the chocolate zucchini cake won't taste like coffee; the espresso powder simply enhances the rich chocolatey goodness.

Chocolate Chips: We infuse this chocolate batter with chocolate chips for an explosion of chocolatey goodness. They are key to those melty pockets of chocolate in each slice. I prefer dark chocolate chips but feel free to use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even mini chocolate chips. Whatever type you enjoy in chocolate chip cookies will work wonders here too.

Wet Ingredients

Butter: Butter adds richness, flavor, and moisture to this Amish zucchini cake. And by incorporating both butter and oil, the cake benefits from the best qualities of each ingredient, ultimately producing a moist, flavorful, and irresistible treat.

Oil: Moisture is essential, and oil provides just that. You can experiment by replacing the oil with unsweetened applesauce. I've tried this substitution and it yields fantastic results.

Sugar: Sugar imparts moisture and sweetness, and enhances the overall flavor.

Eggs: Eggs are the binding agent, contributing both moisture and structure. Remember, using room-temperature ingredients is best.

Sour cream: Sour cream enhances chocolate zucchini cake by adding moisture for a tender texture, a tangy flavor that complements chocolate, richness from its fat content, and lactic acid that reacts with leavening agents to create a lighter texture. It improves the overall quality of the cake.

Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract injects a delightful flavor boost.

Zucchini: Zucchini is a magical ingredient in cakes. It's a great way to use up zucchini, adding moisture without altering the flavor too much.

Shredded Zucchini

To incorporate zucchini into this recipe, all you have to do is give it a good wash and shred it. No need to bother with peeling. Just grab your trusty cheese shredder and grate it into little shreds.

Keep in mind that larger zucchinis tend to release some liquid when shredded. I like to shred the zucchini and let it sit for a bit to allow the excess liquid to drain off while I'm prepping the other ingredients. It doesn't have to be completely drained since a little bit of liquid won't have a significant impact on the cake, but we don't want an excessive amount of extra liquid either.

Another option is to utilize frozen shredded zucchini. So, in case you find yourself with an overabundance of zucchini, you can save some by freezing it to use later in the year when the zucchini harvest season has passed.

Simply shred your zucchini and store it in freezer bags, portioned into convenient 2 1/2 cup servings. Then, when you want to make this Amish zucchini cake, just grab a package from the freezer and allow it to thaw before incorporating it into the recipe.

Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate ganache is a smooth and velvety mixture made from chocolate and cream. It is commonly used as a glaze, frosting, or filling in various desserts.

To make the ganache, chocolate is chopped into small pieces and placed into a heatproof bowl (chocolate chips work as well). Heavy cream is heated in a saucepan until it reaches a gentle simmer. The hot cream is then poured over the chocolate and left to sit for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Afterward, the mixture is gently stirred until the chocolate and cream are fully combined and smooth.

The ratio of chocolate to cream can vary depending on the desired consistency. For a thicker ganache that holds its shape for truffles or piped decorations, a higher proportion of chocolate is used. For a thinner ganache that can be poured over cakes or used as a glaze, a higher proportion of cream is used.

It can be used immediately while warm and pourable or allowed to cool and thicken for spreading or piping.

Chocolate Ganache adds a luxurious and decadent touch to this chocolate zucchini cake, providing a glossy and rich coating, and an even greater depth of chocolate flavor.

However, you can opt for eating this cake without frosting, or you can top it with your favorite frosting. Another great option is whipped chocolate buttercream.

If you get to try this recipe for Amish Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake, I would love it if you left a comment and star rating below. And you may also want to try my recipe for Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.

And while this fudgy zucchini chocolate cake is perfect, perhaps you don't have any zucchini to use. Don't worry, I've got you covered with another Amish moist, and fluffy chocolate cake recipe as well.