Discover a truly decadent three-layer chocolate zucchini cake, all brought together with a luscious and rich chocolate frosting. This recipe is crafted with nutrient-dense cassava flour and naturally sweetened with coconut sugar, making it entirely gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and nut free.
Honestly, I’ve always been a classic vanilla cake person, but this gluten-free chocolate zucchini cake has completely changed my mind. It’s unbelievably moist and fudgy, with a deep, decadent chocolate flavor. The cake features three soft layers held together by a thick, homemade chocolate frosting that has the texture of pure fudge.
By using cassava flour, this cake is not only perfect for paleo baking but is also wonderfully nut-free and easy on the digestive system. It’s no surprise that this chocolate zucchini cake recipe was an absolute hit with my family—it met every single one of our cravings!
What Makes This Chocolate Zucchini Cake Special?
- A Guilt-Free Indulgence: Made with wholesome, clean ingredients, this is a treat you can feel great about enjoying.
- Completely Paleo: This recipe is free from gluten, grains, dairy, and refined sugar.
- Nut-Free Baking with Cassava: It features cassava flour, an excellent grain-free flour perfect for those avoiding nuts.
- Wonderfully Simple to Bake: You won’t need any complex techniques or special equipment to create this masterpiece.
- Perfectly Sized: Baked in three 6-inch round pans, it’s the ideal small-batch cake for family celebrations or intimate gatherings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This chocolate zucchini cake gets its wonderful texture from cassava flour and its gentle sweetness from coconut sugar. Here are the ingredients required:
- Cassava flour (I highly recommend Otto’s Cassava Flour)
- Cocoa powder (Dutched process was used here, but any variety works)
- Coconut sugar
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon (this is optional; instant coffee is a great alternative)
- Salt
- Shredded zucchini (with all excess water squeezed out)
- Eggs (For the best structure, real eggs are essential in this recipe)
- Coconut milk (almond milk is also a good option)
- Avocado oil (or another liquid oil with a neutral flavor)
- Vanilla extract
- Apple cider vinegar (ACV)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Like all my recipes, this chocolate zucchini cake is straightforward and simple. It’s a genuinely easy cake to bake, with minimal prep and no fancy tools required.
For this recipe, I suggest using three 6-inch round stainless steel baking pans. These are the pans I use for most of my cake recipes; they are durable, non-toxic, and conveniently dishwasher safe.
Here is how to bake your zucchini cake:
First, set your oven to preheat to 350°F (175°C). Prepare your baking pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Prepare the Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, eggs, coconut milk, oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Fill the Pans: Carefully divide the batter evenly among the three prepared 6-inch cake pans. Use a spatula to spread the batter smoothly to the edges.
- Bake and Cool: Transfer the pans to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Once baked, let the cakes cool in their pans for about 15 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost and Finish: After the layers have fully cooled, assemble and frost your cake with my decadent homemade chocolate frosting or another favorite.
Baking Tip: For the most reliable results, I strongly advise measuring your ingredients by weight using a small kitchen scale. This ensures precision and guarantees a perfect cake every time.
How to Store Your Cake
This cake will keep well at room temperature for up to 24 hours. For longer freshness, it should be refrigerated. You can store it on a covered cake stand or slice it and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
To store it for even longer, you can freeze individual slices. Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag, and they will keep well for up to one month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a substitute for cassava flour in this recipe? This recipe was specifically developed and tested using cassava flour, so I cannot guarantee results with any substitutions. While all-purpose flour can sometimes be a 1:1 replacement by weight, I haven’t tested it myself. No other grain-free paleo flour behaves quite like cassava.
Does this zucchini cake fit a paleo diet? Yes, absolutely. Every ingredient used in this cake is paleo-friendly. It is free from gluten, grains, dairy, refined sugars, and processed vegetable oils.
Can I bake this cake in advance? Definitely! This cake holds up beautifully in the refrigerator and can easily be made one or two days before you plan to serve it. The frosting sets well, and the cake’s taste, texture, and shape will remain perfect.
Print
Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Cake (Gluten Free, Nut Free)
This healthy chocolate zucchini cake is gluten free and paleo friendly. It’s made with cassava flour and has a rich, fudgy texture.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 layer 6″ round cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups cassava flour (215g) spooned and leveled
- ½ cup cocoa powder (46g) spooned and leveled
- 1 cup coconut sugar (145g)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (optional, may swap with instant coffee)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup shredded zucchini (105g) water squeezed out*
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk (or almond milk)
- ⅓ cup avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Frosting
- ¾ cup organic palm shortening (126g)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (about 3oz)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three 6 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside**
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry cake ingredients. This includes the cassava flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. This includes the zucchini, eggs, coconut milk, avocado oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a spatula until well combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter into your lined cake pans. The batter will be thick, so spread it out so that it’s touching the side of the pans.
- Place the cake pans in your oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
- After baking, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes in the cake pans before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. You can run a butter knife along the edges of the cakes to help release them.
Frosting
- Combine all frosting ingredients in a small sauce pan. Melt over the stove top on low heat, stirring every so often.
- Once the chocolate has fully melted, remove frosting from stove top and cool in fridge for about an hour to thicken***
- Frost cooled cake and decorate as desired.
Notes
For best results, measure ingredients by weight (when given)
*Shred the zucchini with a cheese grater, then squeeze out the water using a nut milk bag, cheesecloth or paper towels.
**I used three 6 inch round cake pans made from stainless steel. They are a great baking option, as they’re non-toxic and dishwasher safe. Please note, if your cake pans are a different size or made from a different material, the baking time will most likely change. Keep an eye on the cakes and decrease or increase the bake time as needed.
***It takes about an hour for the frosting to thicken in the fridge. If the frosting gets too solid, then slightly warm it over the stove top.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
