This Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cake Mix is an easy way to turn fresh zucchini and a box of Devil’s food cake mix into an incredibly moist chocolate dessert. You only need a few extra ingredients, and there’s no need to peel the zucchini. Add chocolate chips and walnuts if you’d like, or keep it simple and serve the cake with powdered sugar, fresh berries, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
It’s a great recipe for using up extra summer zucchini—and an easy shortcut when you want homemade flavor without making a chocolate cake completely from scratch.
I rarely use cake mixes in recipes, but I almost always have one or two flavors tucked away in the pantry for last-minute needs. My oldest daughter was notorious for remembering that she needed a dessert for a school function the night before!
This particular chocolate zucchini cake started with a similar pantry clean-out.
I realized that a store-brand Devil’s food cake mix hidden away in the pantry was nearing its expiration date. At the same time, I had some zucchini that clearly wasn’t going to be used for anything particularly healthy before it passed its prime.
Chocolate zucchini cake seemed like the obvious answer.
The girls were also having a sleepover that weekend, so I didn’t want to spend much time baking. I pulled out my favorite homemade Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe from an old family cookbook and adapted the idea into this much easier Chocolate Zucchini Cake from a Cake Mix.
The result is an easy 9x13 chocolate cake that’s wonderfully moist thanks to the shredded zucchini.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This is one of those recipes worth keeping around for zucchini season because it requires very little extra work. A boxed Devil’s food cake mix provides the chocolate cake base, so there’s no measuring flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, or other dry ingredients. The shredded zucchini adds moisture to the cake without turning it into a vegetable-flavored dessert. Vanilla and cinnamon give the boxed mix a little extra homemade flavor, while chocolate chips and walnuts can be added if you want a richer cake. Best of all, you don’t need to make frosting unless you want to. We usually eat this as a simple snack cake with powdered sugar, fresh berries, and chocolate sauce.
More Sweet Ways to Use Up Fresh Zucchini
If your garden or farmers market has left you with more zucchini than you know what to do with, try a few of my other favorite zucchini recipes:
Ingredients for a Chocolate Zucchini Cake from a Cake Mix
How to Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cake Mix
This recipe starts with the directions on your box of Devil’s food cake mix, so be sure to keep the package handy.
1. Prepare the Cake Pan and Preheat the Oven
I usually make this chocolate zucchini cake in a 13x9-inch glass baking dish.
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish with vegetable shortening or cooking spray. I also like to lightly dust the bottom with flour.
Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on your cake mix package.
If your cake mix gives different baking instructions for glass and metal pans, follow the directions for the type of pan you’re using.
2. Prepare the Chocolate Cake Batter
Prepare the Devil’s food cake mix according to the package directions, adding the eggs, water, and oil specified on the box.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and mix until the batter is combined.
3. Add the Shredded Zucchini
Stir 2 cups of shredded zucchini into the chocolate cake batter.
The zucchini is what helps make this shortcut cake so wonderfully moist.
4. Add Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
If you’re using them, fold ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup of chopped walnuts into the batter.
You can also use one without the other.
For a simple chocolate zucchini cake, leave both out.
5. Bake the Cake
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared 13x9-inch baking dish.
Bake according to the cake mix package directions for the size and type of pan you’re using.
Because ovens, pans, and cake mixes vary, begin checking the cake toward the end of the suggested baking time rather than relying on one exact number of minutes.
6. Cool and Serve
Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
We usually serve this as an unfrosted snack cake. Once it has cooled, dust the top with powdered sugar and add fresh berries and a drizzle of chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce.
It looks pretty without requiring the extra work of making frosting.
I’ve also used this same semi-homemade chocolate zucchini cake idea to make cupcakes and topped them with buttercream frosting.
Can You Taste the Zucchini?
The chocolate is definitely the star of this cake.
Zucchini has a mild flavor, and when it’s finely shredded and mixed into Devil’s food cake batter, it mostly contributes moisture and texture rather than a strong zucchini taste.
That makes this an especially handy zucchini recipe when you have family members who aren’t particularly enthusiastic about eating zucchini on its own.
I won’t claim that nobody will ever spot a tiny piece of zucchini—especially since I leave the skin on—but this still tastes very much like chocolate cake.
Optional Chocolate Zucchini Cake Add-Ins
One reason I like this recipe is that it’s easy to adjust depending on what’s already in the pantry.
For an extra-chocolate cake, add the semisweet chocolate chips.
For a little texture, add chopped walnuts.
You can also add both for a chocolate chip walnut zucchini cake.
If you’re serving the cake for dessert rather than as an afternoon snack, dress individual slices up with fresh strawberries or raspberries and chocolate sauce.
A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside a slightly warm piece wouldn’t hurt either!
How to Store Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Once the cake has cooled completely, cover it tightly or transfer individual pieces to an airtight container.
Because zucchini adds so much moisture to the cake, keeping it well covered helps maintain that soft texture.
If you’re adding fresh berries, add them to individual servings rather than storing them on top of the entire cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chocolate zucchini cake with a boxed cake mix?
Yes. A Devil’s food cake mix makes an easy base for chocolate zucchini cake. Prepare the mix according to its package directions, then add vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 cups of shredded zucchini before baking.
What kind of cake mix is best for chocolate zucchini cake?
I use Devil’s food cake mix because its rich chocolate flavor works especially well with zucchini. I’ve successfully made this recipe with inexpensive store-brand cake mix, so you don’t need a particular brand.
How much zucchini do I add to a chocolate cake mix?
For this recipe, use 2 cups of shredded zucchini for one box of Devil’s food cake mix.
Should I peel zucchini before putting it in cake?
No. I wash the zucchini and shred it with the skin still on. The skin is tender and blends into the cake as it bakes.
Do I squeeze the water out of zucchini for cake?
Not for this recipe. I use the shredded zucchini without aggressively squeezing out its moisture. The zucchini helps give this cake its moist texture.
Can I add chocolate chips to chocolate zucchini cake?
Absolutely. Fold ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter before baking. They’re optional but make the cake even more chocolatey.
Can I add nuts?
Yes. Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts if desired. You can also leave them out completely.
Can I make cupcakes instead?
Yes. I’ve made this semi-homemade recipe as cupcakes and topped them with buttercream frosting. Follow your cake mix package directions for cupcake baking time and begin checking them toward the end of the recommended time.
Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Cake Mix
An easy, moist chocolate zucchini cake made with Devil’s food cake mix, shredded zucchini, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add chocolate chips and walnuts, or serve it simply with powdered sugar, berries, and chocolate sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 box Devil’s food cake mix
- Eggs, water, and oil called for on the cake mix package
- 2 cups shredded zucchini, skin on
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
- Powdered sugar, optional, for serving
- Fresh berries, optional, for serving
- Chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to the directions on the Devil’s food cake mix package.
- Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. If desired, lightly dust the bottom of the pan with flour.
- Prepare the Devil’s food cake mix according to the package instructions, using the eggs, water, and oil specified on the box.
- Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
- Stir the shredded zucchini into the chocolate cake batter.
- Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, if using.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake according to the cake mix package directions for a 13x9-inch pan and the type of pan you are using. Begin checking the cake toward the end of the recommended baking time.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Serve plain or dust with powdered sugar. Top individual slices with fresh berries and chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce, if desired.
1 Comments
I'm always looking for ways to get veggies in my small people. This sounds like a great way! Thanks for sharing at Food on Friday.
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