Chocolate zucchini cake
58 min · 13 g protein · 120 cals / serving
A dark, fudgy chocolate snack cake with a moist, tender crumb you would never guess is full of grated zucchini, deepened with a little coffee and studded with melting chocolate, under a thick, silky chocolate skyr frosting. Serve it cool from the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 medium, squeezed to 270 g zucchini, finely grated (about 350 g), then squeezed to remove about 80 g of liquid
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 2/3 tsp stevia, pure stevia powder, or sweetener equal to 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder, or espresso powder
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 2 3/4 scoops (85 g) whey protein, chocolate or vanilla
- scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 oz dark chocolate 70-85%, 70%, chopped
Frosting
- 1 cup skyr, plain
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- a pinch stevia
Steps
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a 9 inch square pan with baking paper. Grate the zucchini finely, wrap it in a clean tea towel and squeeze over the sink until about ⅓ cup of liquid has run out; discard the liquid. In a large bowl whisk the squeezed zucchini, eggs, egg whites, yogurt, brown sugar, stevia, vanilla and coffee powder.
- Sift in the cocoa, protein powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and fold together until just combined, then fold in two-thirds of the chopped chocolate.
- Spread into the pan, scatter the rest of the chocolate on top and bake 32–38 minutes, until the centre springs back and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Cool completely in the pan.
- Whisk the skyr, cocoa, powdered sugar and stevia into a smooth, thick frosting and spread it over the cooled cake. Chill at least 30 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.
Good to know
Do I really need to squeeze the zucchini?
Yes, lightly. With this little flour, the full load of zucchini water makes the middle gummy; what stays in after a squeeze is plenty to keep the cake moist. Grate it finely so it melts into the crumb with no green flecks to see.
How long does it keep?
Covered in the fridge for 4 days; it gets fudgier on day two. Unfrosted, it freezes well.
Can I bake it as a loaf?
Yes, in a 2 lb loaf tin for 45–50 minutes, laying foil over the top for the last 15.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 141
- Protein
- (42%)
- 15 g
- Fat
- (21%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (38%)
- 15 g
- of which sugar
- 7 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 251 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1436 kcal goes into the pot and 1138 g of ingredients comes out as about 1020 g of food: 141 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.