I know what you are thinking; courgette, in a cake? You are going to have to trust me on this one… I promise you can’t taste the (not so) secret ingredient in this Chocolate Courgette Cake (I suppose I have given the game away in the title!). Although it initially sounds unusual, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, after all, who doesn’t love carrot cake? The addition of the grated courgette gives it the most unbelievably moist texture, but doesn’t detract from the rich and indulgent flavour we all love in a good chocolate cake. I urge you to put aside your doubts and give this recipe a go, you won’t regret it.
Why I love this Chocolate Courgette Cake:
- It is super simple and quick… It takes just 15 minutes to put together, then the oven works its magic.
- You don’t need a mixer and it is pretty much all made in one bowl.
- It is incredibly moist; the combination of grated courgettes, Greek yoghurt and vegetable oil makes for one of the moistest cakes you will ever eat.
- Healthy-ish - I am not going to pretend this is one of your 5 a day BUT adding courgettes is a good one to include more plant foods in your diet and help take care of our guts (gut health seems to be very ‘on trend’ at the moment!).
- It is perfect to use up a glut of courgettes.
- Ideal for elevenses at a coffee morning, with a cup of tea in the afternoon or served warm for a delicious pudding.
What you will need for this Chocolate Courgette Cake:
Courgettes - (also known as zucchini). I used regular green courgettes but you could use the yellow ones too. They tend to have a slightly sweeter flavour.
Caster sugar - I like to use caster sugar in my cakes but you could use granulated sugar or golden caster sugar if you prefer.
Soft light brown sugar - this adds moisture and a subtle molasses/caramel flavour, you could use soft dark brown sugar for a stronger molasses/caramel flavour.
Eggs - use free-range large eggs if you can. I always recommend ones stamped with the British Lion.
Greek yoghurt - this adds moisture to the Chocolate Courgette Cake as well as a slight tangy flavour. Always use full-fat varieties in baking as lower-fat options will give different results.
Vegetable oil - using oil in baking is another way to ensure a deliciously moist cake. You want a flavourless oil for this recipe so could swap for rapeseed or sunflower oil if you prefer.
Plain flour - also known as ‘all-purpose flour’.
Bicarbonate of soda - this is an alkali raising agent used to help cakes with deep flavours (like gingerbread, carrot cake and chocolate cake) rise. It needs moisture and acid to activate it - in this recipe, I have used yoghurt but other recipes may use buttermilk or milk.
Baking powder - this is another raising agent that helps ensure this Chocolate Courgette Cake has a beautifully light texture.
Cocoa powder - make sure you use the unsweetened variety (and definitely not hot chocolate powder!).
Salt - don’t worry, this won’t make the Chocolate Courgette Cake taste salty. A small pinch of salt cuts through the sweetness and heightens the flavours. I recommend Maldon Salt Flakes.
Dark chocolate - opt for a good quality variety with at least 70% cocoa solids.
Butter - I recommend unsalted so you can control the level of salt in the recipe.
Sour cream - I love using sour cream in butter icing. It has a slight tang which offsets the sweetness of the icing sugar and richness of the dark chocolate. Always opt for full-fat varieties for the best results.
Icing sugar - this helps add sweetness and stability to the frosting. Always sieve your icing sugar to remove lumps and help create a smooth icing.
Can I use milk or white chocolate instead of dark chocolate in this Chocolate Courgette Cake?
I would recommend sticking with the dark chocolate for the frosting as milk or white chocolate would be rather sweet (although if you have a sweet tooth, go for it!). However, you can definitely use milk or white chocolate for the chopped chocolate chunks. In fact, you could use a mixture and create a Triple Chocolate Courgette Cake!
What is the difference between chocolate chunks and chocolate chips?
Chocolate chips are small teardrop shaped chocolate droplets that have been specifically designed to withstand high temperatures and hold their shape when baking. This means they don’t melt and look rather pretty in things like cookies and brownies - they also tend to taste sweeter as they usually have a higher sugar content and lower cocoa butter content than chocolate bars. In contrast, chocolate chunks (made from chopping up your own chocolate bar) will vary in size and melt into gloriously gooey pools of melted chocolate during baking. They won’t look as pretty or uniform, but will taste absolutely delicious. You also have more control of the sugar level as you can vary your choice of chocolate. I specifically chose to use chopped chocolate in this Chocolate Courgette Cake as I love coming across the puddles of molten chocolate.
Other recipes you may enjoy:
Banana Bread Bars
Brownie Bites
Caramelised Banana Upside Down Cake
Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Chocolate and Raspberry Cake
Jaffa Jaffa Cake
Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding
Simple Moist Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Courgette Cake with Chocolate Frosting
This moist chocolate courgette cake is delicious on its own - but I highly recommend you try the incredible sour cream chocolate frosting. I promise you, this recipe will go down a treat...
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes + cooling time
- Yield: Serves 6-8
- Category: Baking
Ingredients
For the cake:
250g courgettes, grated
50g caster sugar
100g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs
65g full-fat Greek yoghurt
60ml vegetable oil
120g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
55g cocoa powder
½ teaspoon flaky salt
200g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
For the sour cream chocolate frosting: (optional)
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g full-fat sour cream, room temperature
160g good-quality dark chocolate, melted
25g cocoa powder
350g icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C Fan. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper or use a little butter and a dusting of cocoa powder.
- Place the grated courgette in a clean tea towel and give it a good squeeze to get rid of any excess moisture.
- Tip the courgette into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, eggs, yoghurt and oil and mix well.
- Sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cocoa powder. Add the salt and mix well to combine.
- Stir in the chopped chocolate until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about 40-45 minutes - or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Check at 35 minutes as ovens vary and you don't want it to be too dry - cover with foil if the top is darkening too quickly.
- If frosting, leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Alternatively, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes until just cool enough to handle carefully. Turn out onto a plate and enjoy warm slices with melting pools of chocolate.
- If making the frosting: using an electric whisk, beat the butter for about 2 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Add the sour cream and the cooled melted chocolate and continue beating until combined. Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix until light and fluffy.
- Once the loaf has completely cooled, use a palette knife, spatula or the back of the spoon to spread over the top.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
You can swap the chopped dark chocolate chunks for milk and/or white chocolate if you prefer.
Michael Foster says
Is it 250 g of courgette before or after it is strained?
Margie Nomura says
Before! x
Michael says
It turned out amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe!