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Chocolate Zucchini Cakes Recipe

Can we deal with the unexpected or we don’t even really have to? Let’s make a Zucchini cake and see if it turns out as expected!

Reality can be a harsh thing. So confusing and inexplicable, in fact that our brain sometimes simply decides not to take notice of it and show us something that is more plausible than the reality itself.

Let it in or keep it out?

Probably many of us heard about or even experienced act of denials when we simply don’t want to believe something, although we know the truth as it lies in front of our eyes. Yet, it is much scarier if we want to know the truth, although we can’t because our brain has other things going on in its mind.

If these things sound too confusing, just spend a couple of minutes staring at  the Ames window and try to figure out how something so trivial can cause such havoc in our mind that our view of reality completely shatters.

We take reality granted as the world we live in, yet we rarely acknowledge the fact that the world around us is highly subjective to the brain’s interpretation of pure electrical signals from our world sensing organs.

Is zucchini unexpected?

If everything works as expected then the world stays as it is, but if something unexpected happens and our brain just simply can’t decide what to do with it then it does as we all do when we meet something unexpected, invent something.

No one knows how zucchini became a dessert ingredient and no one has a better answer to the question, why we still use it, than because we have it in the garden so why not.

We do not raise an eyebrow using banana and fruit in dessert (topped up with unreasonable amount of sugar) from time to time. Some of us even venture into the land of vegetables with carrots (with even more sugar) but none of these ingredients seem out of place, as in their core all are sweet as desserts supposed to be.

Are vegetables desserts then?

Interestingly if something out of place tries to wedge itself into our recipe book, we treat it not just with great suspicion but even denial. Our brain can go to great length conserving our reality, not just by denying calling fruits like tomato vegetable but completely changing how we perceive the world like it is the case with the Ames window.

Nowadays, when many of us hear adding vegetables to desserts or using them in unconventional settings probably our brain primary response is a frown at the end of our mouth or little pull at the corner of our nose in slight show of disgust.

As in the next second we gain back consciousness and start to think about veggies, we may realize that vegetables are good, so this must be a great way to shove them down in our kid’s throat, hence we normalize the situation and may justify the presence of vegetables in desserts.

Can zucchinis be desserts too?

Many of us just keep the disgusted face though, and will never ever touch anything that first presumed of being disgusting. It’s a primary lifesaving response and we can’t really do much about it, except the not so helpful, yet effective, concealing what they eat, until they got used to it.

In reality though, outside of our little world and culture, vegetables play just as important role in dessert as fruits, or they do in many cultures. Various types of cabbage, poppy seed or zucchini is all important ingredients in recipes unknown to us, yet proud part of various recipes that millions couldn’t live without.

What are zucchini cakes?

Zucchini cakes are not likely one of those, but we can’t jump right into a dessert that requires skill, patience, and generational knowledge. Zucchini cakes are simple cakes that we can whip up fairly quickly for anyone in our family or just for ourselves.

We can venture into gluten free, low carb territory easily by replacing the plain flour with diet appropriate one and there we have something that we may have never thought of having. Yet, once we open the window of opportunities there shouldn’t be reason to close them, especially if we have a garden full of zucchinis.

Ingredients

Cake

Original
  • 2 cups / 250g Flour
  • ½ cup / 50g Cocoa powder
  • ½ tablespoon / 7g Baking powder (follow instructions on packaging)
  • ½ teaspoon / 3g Salt
  • 4 medium / 200g Eggs
  • 3 tablespoons / 50g Butter (soft or melted)
  • 3 tablespoons / 60g Honey or sweetener of choice
  • ⅓ cup / 80g Greek yogurt (no fat)
  • ¼ teaspoon / 1.5g Vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup / 80g Milk (low fat)
  • 3 cups / 400g Zucchini (shredded)

Keto – Gluten free

  • 3 cups / 400g Zucchini (shredded)
  • 4 medium / 200g Eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon / 1.5g Vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons / 50g Butter (melted)
  • ½ cup / 120g Milk
  • 1 cup / 100g Almond flour
  • 1 cup / 120g Coconut flour
  • 3 tablespoons sweetener of choice
  • 1 teaspoon / 4g Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon / 3g Salt
  • ¼ cup / 30g Cocoa powder

Frosting

  • 21 oz / 600g Cream cheese (low fat)
  • 7 oz  / 200g Greek yogurt (no fat)
  • Sweetener to taste (about 6 tablespoons honey or 4 tablespoons Truvia on keto)
  • ½ teaspoon / 2.5g Vanilla extract
  • Optional
    • ½ cup / 50g Cocoa powder for chocolate cream

Kitchen utensils

  • Ø6½” / Ø16.5cm Springform pan

How to make Chocolate zucchini cake

Cake – Original

  1. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  2. Whisk the eggs until light yellow.Beaten eggs
  3. Whisk in the butter, honey or sweetener of choice, sour cream, vanilla extract, milk and the shredded zucchini.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  4. Mix them together with the flour.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  5. Pour the batter into a parchment lined spring-form pan.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  6. If cutting cakes isn’t an option just use the spring-form individually without its bottom on a parchment paper and bake the batter in batches. Using more spring-from pans at the same time is also an option.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  7. Bake the chocolate zucchini cake on the lower rack of a 360°F / 180°C preheated oven for about 50 minutes.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  8. If the layers are baked individually 20 minutes for each layer would suffice.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  9. Cut the cake into 3 layers and let them cool completely. It shouldn’t be gooey but if it is, panic not, just put them back into the oven and bake them through. Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

Cake – Keto – Gluten free

  1. In a big enough bowl ,mix all the ingredients together. It should be moist but it won’t be runny like it’s the case with the floury batter.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  2. Divide the batter into three. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and by using a spring-form baking pan without the bottom, make the zucchini cake layers.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  3. Bake the chocolate zucchini cake on the lower rack of a 360°F / 180°C preheated oven until dark brown spots start to appear on the surface of the cake, about 45 minutes.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

Frosting

  1. Whisk cream cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, sweetener of choice and vanilla extract until creamy. For chocolate cream add the optional cocoa powder too.Cream-cheese-gp-1-SunCakeMom

Assembly

  1. Divide the cream into four parts.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  2. Make sure the layers are cooled to room temperature or even below. Spread ¼ of the cream on the first layer equally.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  3. Continue with the layers and cream.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  4. Spread the last quarter on the side of the cake.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
  5. Leave a bit of cream for decoration if desired. Always keep the cake in the fridge unless it is served.Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

Enjoy!Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

Zucchini-cake-recipe-g16x9-SunCakeMom
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Chocolate Zucchini Cakes Recipe

Can we deal with the unexpected or we don't even really have to? Let's make a Zucchini cake and see if it turns out as expected!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Sugar free recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Equipment

  • Ø6½" / Ø16.5cm Springform pan

Ingredients

Cake
    Original
    • 2 cups Flour
    • ½ cup Cocoa powder
    • ½ tablespoon Baking powder follow instructions on packaging
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 4 medium Eggs
    • 3 tablespoons Butter soft or melted
    • 3 tablespoons Honey or sweetener of choice
    • cup Greek yogurt no fat
    • ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • cup Milk low fat
    • 3 cups Zucchini shredded
    Keto - Gluten free
    • 3 cups Zucchini shredded
    • 4 medium Eggs
    • ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 3 tablespoons Butter melted
    • ½ cup Milk low fat
    • 1 cup Almond flour
    • 1 cup Coconut flour
    • 3 tablespoons sweetener of choice Xylitol
    • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ cup Cocoa powder
    Frosting
    • 21 oz Cream cheese low fat
    • 7 oz Greek yogurt no fat
    • Sweetener to taste about 6 tablespoons honey or 4 tablespoons Xylitol on keto
    • ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • Optional
    • ½ cup Cocoa powder for chocolate cream

    Instructions

    Cake

      Original

      • Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Whisk the eggs until light yellow.
        Beaten eggs
      • Whisk in the butter, honey or sweetener of choice, sour cream, vanilla extract, milk and the shredded zucchini.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Mix them together with the flour.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Pour the batter into a parchment lined spring-form pan.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • If cutting cakes isn't an option just use the spring-form individually without its bottom on a parchment paper and bake the batter in batches. Using more spring-from pans at the same time is also an option.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Bake the chocolate zucchini cake on the lower rack of a 360°F / 180°C preheated oven for about 50 minutes.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • If the layers are baked individually 20 minutes for each layer would suffice.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Cut the cake into 3 layers and let them cool completely. It shouldn't be gooey but if it is, panic not, just put them back into the oven and bake them through.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

      Keto - Gluten free

      • In a big enough bowl ,mix all the ingredients together. It should be moist but it won't be runny like it's the case with the floury batter.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Divide the batter into three. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and by using a spring-form baking pan without the bottom, make the zucchini cake layers.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Bake the chocolate zucchini cake on the lower rack of a 360°F / 180°C preheated oven until dark brown spots start to appear on the surface of the cake, about 45 minutes.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

      Frosting

      • Whisk cream cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, sweetener of choice and vanilla extract until creamy.
        Cream-cheese-gp-1-SunCakeMom

      Assembly

      • Divide the cream into four parts.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Make sure the layers are cooled to room temperature or even below. Spread ¼ of the cream on the first layer equally.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Continue with the layers and cream.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Spread the last quarter on the side of the cake.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom
      • Leave a bit of cream for decoration if desired. Always keep the cake in the fridge unless it is served.
        Zucchini cake recipe - SunCakeMom

      Notes

      Original

      Nutrition

      Serving: 100g | Calories: 155kcal (8%) | Carbohydrates: 17g (6%) | Protein: 7g (14%) | Fat: 8g (12%) | Saturated Fat: 4g (24%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 52mg (17%) | Sodium: 223mg (10%) | Potassium: 199mg (6%) | Fiber: 2g (6%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 295IU (6%) | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 91mg (9%) | Iron: 2mg (9%)

      Pin now, Enjoy later

      Old school – flour

      Zucchini-cake-recipe-Pinterest-SunCakeMom

      New school – keto

      Zucchini-cake-recipe-keto-Pinterest-SunCakeMom

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