Flavorful, moist and rich, this chocolate zucchini cake is topped with a delectable crunchy brown sugar streusel.
Ingredients
½ cup butter, softened
⅓ cup coconut oil
1¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
½ cup cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ cup buttermilk
2 cups shredded zucchini
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, coconut oil and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until slightly thickened and light yellow, about 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until thoroughly mixed. Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined. Add ½ the buttermilk and mix well. Repeat with another ⅓ of the flour mixture, then the remaining buttermilk, and finally add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini.
Gently spread the batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the batter. Use the tines of a fork to gently break up any larger chunks of sugar. Then sprinkle with the chocolate chips and the pecans.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
I like to shred my zucchini using the shredder attachment on my food processor. So easy, fast and uniform! I usually halve this recipe, because a 9x13 in cake is too much for the two of us. I bake it in an 8x8 inch pan and start checking for doneness around 28 minutes to be sure I don't overbake. The original recipe calls for sliced almonds rather than pecans. I like the flavor of the pecans better in this recipe, but the almonds look very pretty. You can choose whichever nut you prefer, or have on hand.
Recipe by Laura's Cozy Kitchen at https://www.laurascozykitchen.com/chocolate-zucchini-cake-with-streusel/