Vegan chocolate courgette cake

Vegan chocolate courgette cake

vegan chocolate courgette cake platter

Hope your weekend is peachy! Ours has been a bit challenging as we both succumbed to some mild infection (luckily not Covid, phew!) and have been feeling really weak and lethargic. Duncan has had to give up on his long awaited kayaking trip and I had to cancel my PT session, which I finally started to enjoy. As a result the recipe is a bit late, but it’s a good and a very seasonal one so I hope this makes up for the wait.

I made a vegan chocolate courgette cake or zucchini cake (depending where you live) with an extra bonus of added chocolate chunks. It’s deeply chocolatey, beautifully rich and moist and you cannot taste the courgette at all, promise. I based it on this recipe of mine I published last summer so if you fancy the idea but are not a chocolate fan, try the lemon version instead.

It’s super easy – as opposed to some courgette cake recipes I’ve seen, there is no need to squeeze the moisture out – and quick to make. It’s delicious on its own, but I love to enjoy it with a dollop of thick coconut yoghurt and a spoonful of stewed cherries or blackberries.

vegan chocolate courgette cake making

Combine grated courgettes / zucchini – no need to squeeze the moisture out for this recipe – oil and plant milk in a large bowl.

vegan chocolate courgette cake courgette

Add sugar – I used a mixture of caster sugar and demerara – and stir everything together until well combined.

vegan chocolate courgette cake cocoa

Place a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in unsweetened cocoa powder, mix well to combine.

vegan chocolate courgette cake flour

Next sift in salt, both baking agents and flour in 2 batches, folding each batch slowly and gently into the wet ingredients.

vegan chocolate courgette cake batter

Finally stir in chococolate chunks (or chocolate chips of that’s what you prefer) and ground flax seeds if you have used a gluten-free flour mix.

vegan chocolate courgette cake unbaked

vegan chocolate courgette cake tin

vegan chocolate courgette cake slice

makes
2 lb / 1 kg
PREP
15 min
COOKING
45 min
makes
2 lb / 1 kg
PREPARATION
15 min
COOKING
45 min
INGREDIENTS

WET INGREDIENTS

  • 250 g / 1¼ cup sugar*
  • 80 ml / 1/3 cup neutral oil or melted vegan block
  • 60 ml / ¼ cup plant milk (I used soy)
  • 240 g / 8.5 oz* coarsely grated courgette / zucchini

DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 65 g / 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • 210 g / 1¾ cups all purpose flour or GF all purpose flour mix (I use this one)
  • 100 g / 3.5 oz vegan dark chocolate, chopped (optional)
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seeds (GF version only)
METHOD
  1. Set the oven to 175° C / 350° F. Grease a 1kg / 2lb cake tin (see NOTES) with a bit of oil or line it with a piece of baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl mix all the wet ingredients together. If using vegan block or coconut oil, melt it and allow it to cool off before using.
  3. Place a sieve over the bowl with wet ingredients and sift cocoa powder in. Fold it into the wet ingredients until well combined.
  4. Next, sift in salt, both baking agents and flour in 2 batches, folding each batch gently into the wet ingredients.
  5. Fold in chocolate chunks if using and, only if using GF flour mix, ground flax seeds. Finished batter should be thick, not pourable.
  6. Transfer the batter into a baking tin. If making a gluten-free version of the cake, allow the cake to sit in the tin for 5 minutes before baking.
  7. Bake for approximately 42-45 mins. Let the cake cool down completely before removing from the tin and slicing.

NOTES
*SUGAR: if you prefer a less sweet chocolate cake, reduce the amount of sugar to 200 g / 1 cup.

*GRATED COURGETTE/ZUCCHINI: approximately 1½ tightly packed cups of coarsely grated courgette/zucchini.

Please be aware that 1 kg / 2 lb tins vary enormously between brands so I recommend measuring the volume of the tin you intend to use first. For this recipe, I used a 2 lb cake tin that holds approximately 1250 ml / 5 cups of liquid (to the brim). The batter should fill no more than 2/3 – 3/4 of the tin or else the cake may not raise.

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
216
11%
sugars
22 g
24%
fats
7 g
10%
saturates
1 g
6%
proteins
3 g
6%
carbs
38 g
15%
*per 1 out of 12 slices (without added chocolate)
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5.0
9 reviews, 11 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Marieke:
Tried this recipe last week with a leftover zucchini ... and it was soooo yummy! So easy to make and really tasty. What i especially like is that the zucchini makes the cake nicely moist and not too heavy. Loved it, will make it again this weekend and would definitely recommend. (Greetings from Belgium)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, Marieke. I am so pleased to hear that you enjoyed this cake and are planning to make it again. Yes, zucchini (courgette) does lend really nice texture, doesn't it. Thank you for taking the time to review - I really appreciate it. Ania
Susan Higgs:
Beautiful cake, I cut down on the sugar, 60gs, and it made a really lovely chocolatey/ fudgey cake.. really moist really fluffy, lovely hot with ice cream. I used a marrow which worked beautifully
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you Susan, I am delighted to hear that this cake has hit the spot and I agree, ice-cream makes just about everything better, doesn't it :) x Ania
Fiona:
The summer weather was proving to be unsummery so I thought it was time to check out a 'Lazy Cat' recipe! This courgette cake did not disappoint! I put squares of 100% chocolate in the mix to keep me from missing the rain!! I had all the ingredients so that was nice. The cake stayed really moist and improved with a day and even terrific on the 3rd day! It was loved by all and I even made a coffee topping with coconut cream whipped up with decaff coff and maple syrup..... because my daughter loves that! I highly recommend this for special occasions and let's face it, it will cause a special occasion! V chocolatey too......mmmmmmyum! Thanks again Ania! :) P.S. It was great at the festival I went to!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Fiona, I am so pleased to hear that you enjoyed this cake and that it helped you cope with this rainy weather (I struggle with it too). Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Rebecca Poole:
This is such an easy recipe to follow and perfect for using up any courgettes. It’s absolutely delicious and definitely one we will be saving for in the future too.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Rebecca! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it and thanks so much for coming back to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Looks lovely. Can you freeze this cake? Desperate to make a dent in my courgette glut!
Thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Jo,
    Sure you can. Make sure it's in an air-tight box to protect it from freezer burn and smells. And you may want to slice it and separate slices between small squares of baking parchment - that way you can defrost a slice at a time. Defrost until fully thawed by placing in the fridge. Hope this helps! Ania
roslingons:
I made this cake with our home grown yellow courgettes. It is a lovely moist cake and very chocolatey.
Too much for the 2 of us so I have frozen some and will let you know how it is when defrosted.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you, I am really happy to hear that you have enjoyed it and it freezes well, but thaw it overnight in the fridge (rather than microwave). Hope this helps! Ania
Rosalind Healy:
Absolutely perfect recipe. I was a bit uncertain about the timing but it was spot on. Took it to a family gathering and it went down really well. I just found a huge courgette in the veg patch so will be looking to make another this weekend. It’s best after 2/3 days
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Rosalind, I am delighted to hear that this cake has gone down so well with you and your family and that you are planning to make it again. And thanks so much for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. x Ania
Aimee:
Absolutely delicious!!! Decadent, moist, chocolates goodness!
I made half the recipe into 6 cupcakes.
I used coconut sugar, and I used GF flour, so added the flax powder as per recipe.
They turned out so yum! I just topped them with a dollop of chocolate ganache for aesthetic purposes.
I 100% recommend trying out this recipe!
Ania, you are so talented at creating these delicious recipes for us!
Thank you, once more - a winner! X
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you so much, Aimee! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe - your muffins looked really delicious on Instragram, I loved how you styled them! Thank you so much for your kind words and I really appreciate you coming back to review, it really helps me out. x Ania
Yuliana:
I rarely leave reviews but wow, chocolate courgette cake has never been so moist, fudgey and chocolatey! Thanks for the recipe, will be making again for sure :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay! I am so happy to hear that, Yuliana! And thanks so much for taking the time to review - it means a lot! x Ania
Saule Ram:
Tried it out today: moist, fluffy and delicious!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw thanks so much, Saule! I am delighted to hear that it turned out so well for you and thanks so much for returning to review - I so appreciate it. x Ania
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