3 Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This 3 Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini Cake is so easy to make! It doesn’t require a lot of time or fancy equipment. The added shredded zucchini is one of the reasons the zucchini cake is so moist. In fact, I found that the chocolate zucchini cake with box mix was even more moist the next day! 

The 3 Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini cake recipe is a great way to sneak in some extra vegetables. Don’t worry - you won’t even notice the chocolate zucchini cake has two cups of shredded zucchini. You can’t see the zucchini and you don’t even notice any weird texture or flavor.

Many gardeners love this recipe because it is an easy way to use extra zucchini from their summer gardens. Most vegetable gardeners are trying to find creative ways to use up their extra produce by the end of the summer when vegetables plants are producing quickly. 

Whoever came up with the original idea for 3 Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini Cake was basically my version of a genius. The added vegetables don't make me feel so bad for consuming chocolate cake. 

The chocolate zucchini cake can be served with or without frosting. It can be baked in a bundt pan or in two loaf pans. Baking the chocolate zucchini cake in a bundt pan would be a beautiful way to present the cake. You could even drizzle it with some icing. 

I didn’t have a bundt pan so I baked the 3 ingredient chocolate zucchini cake in two loaf pans. The presentation isn’t as pretty, but the cake was still moist and yummy!

What are the ingredients in 3 Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini Cake? 

I love baking recipes that only require a few ingredients. This chocolate zucchini cake recipe only requires three ingredients: 

• Zucchini. The zucchini helps retain moisture and you can’t even taste zucchini’s subtle flavor in baked goods. 
• Chocolate cake mix. Any chocolate cake mix should work. I grabbed a Pillsbury chocolate cake mix since that was the brand with the best sale at the time. Duncan Hines cake mix for zucchini cake works just as well or even off brands. Some people even make this zucchini cake recipe with a german chocolate cake mix or brownie mix instead!
• Eggs. Two eggs help bind the ingredients together while baking.

One caveat to this three ingredient chocolate zucchini cake recipe is a fourth ingredient might be required. The extra ingredient is water. I didn’t add it to the main ingredient list because water is usually an accessible cooking item and it actually may not be required if the zucchini you are using has a lot of water bulk. 

How to make 3 Ingredient Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Making this chocolate zucchini cake is so easy! As I mentioned above, it only requires three ingredients.

Step 1: First, wash one to two zucchini. Trim off the tough ends of the zucchini. Use a manual grater to shred the zucchini. Another option is to use a food processor with a shredding attachment. I prefer to use a food processor to shred the zucchini since I find that it is easier to shred and it is a very quick process (other than putting together the food processor and cleaning up the dirty pieces when I’m done).

Do I have to peel zucchini before baking with it? That is a common question. The answer is no - you do not have to peel zucchini before baking with it. In fact, the zucchini peel has the most nutritional benefit. 

Step 2: Empty the chocolate cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Note: You can use any chocolate cake mix brand such as Duncan Hines or even use a flavored cake mix like German chocolate cake mix to make this zucchini cake recipe. Or try a sugar free cake mix to make this zucchini cake. Add the eggs and the shredded zucchini to the chocolate cake mix.

Step 3: Hand stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined. If the cake batter still seems to be too dry, slowly add a tablespoon of water at a time to the cake mixture until the mixture is still thick, but easier to work with. 

Step 4: Pour the cake mixture into two lightly greased loaf pans or a lightly greased bundt pan. Follow the suggested baking temperature and time on the back of the cake box. This is usually around 350 degrees Fahrenheit and about 30 minutes total baking time. The zucchini cake is done when a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean. Otherwise, if you see batter on the toothpick, this suggests that the cake is still not set or cooked through.

Step 5: Let the chocolate zucchini cake cool. After the cake is completely cooled, it can be frosted, if desired. 

📖 Recipe

Can you add zucchini to a cake mix?

Yes, you can add zucchini to a cake mix. In fact, adding zucchini to baked goods is an easy way to add moisture to baked goods and a great way to add some additional nutritional benefit. 

Can you make sugar free zucchini cake? 

Yes! The great thing about using a cake box mix to make this 3 ingredient chocolate zucchini cake recipe is that you can use any type of cake mix. Pillsbury sells both a vanilla and chocolate sugar free cake mix.

Is chocolate zucchini cake healthy? 

Well, that depends on your definition of healthy. On one hand, chocolate zucchini cake is still cake. It has sugar and a high amount of carbs. On the other hand, adding vegetables to a dessert is a way to add some nutritional benefit to an otherwise nutrient deficient food item. 

Does chocolate zucchini cake need to be kept in the refrigerator? 

No, chocolate zucchini cake does not need to be kept in the refrigerator. However, storing it in the refrigerator will increase the shelf-life from about 2-3 days to about a week.

Can you freeze chocolate zucchini cake from box mix?

Yes, you can freeze chocolate zucchini cake. The best way to freeze it is to make sure the cake is completely cooled. Next, cover the cake with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil to create a tight seal. Store the zucchini cake in the freezer for up to two months. When you are ready to serve the chocolate zucchini cake, set the cake out on the counter for a few hours to defrost before serving.

I definitely recommend this chocolate zucchini cake as an easy summer dessert. However, it can be served at any time of the year. It is an easy way to sneak in extra vegetables into your family’s diet or to use up extra zucchini plants from your summer garden.