This fresh milled flour chocolate zucchini cake is incredibly moist, rich, and chocolatey with a soft, tender crumb that’s a little denser and richer than a traditional chocolate cake—almost brownie-like.
Made with freshly milled wheat flour and plenty of shredded zucchini, it’s filled with chocolate chips and finished with a simple chocolate frosting.
If you have zucchini piling up from the garden, this is my new favorite way to use a lot of it at once. The recipe uses three full cups, but you’d never know there was that much zucchini in the finished cake. It makes the cake extra moist, and all you taste chocolate.
Why You’ll Love This Fresh Milled Flour Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe
Key Ingredients
Tips for the Best Fresh Milled Flour Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Finely shred the zucchini. Finely shredded zucchini blends right into the cake and distributes its moisture more evenly throughout the batter.
Don’t squeeze out the zucchini. The zucchini’s natural moisture is an important part of this recipe. Shred it and add it directly into the batter.
Don’t add liquid when the mixture looks crumbly. After adding the dry ingredients, it will look much too dry to become cake batter. That’s exactly how it should look. The zucchini provides the moisture the batter needs.
Don’t skip the 10–15 minute rest. This gives the zucchini time to release some of its moisture while also allowing the freshly milled flour to hydrate.
Don’t overbake. Start checking the cake around 30 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely before frosting. The chocolate frosting will melt if it’s spread over a warm cake, so give the cake plenty of time to cool first.
Instructions
- Prepare the flour. Weigh and mill the soft white wheat berries on a fine setting. In a medium bowl, whisk the freshly milled flour together with the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Shred the zucchini. Finely shred the zucchini. Do not squeeze out the moisture. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until combined. The mixture will be dry and crumbly at this point. This is normal.
- Add the zucchini. Stir in the finely shredded zucchini until evenly combined. Let the mixture rest for 10–15 minutes to allow the zucchini to release its moisture and the freshly milled flour to hydrate.
- Preheat the oven. While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Add the chocolate chips. After the batter has rested, stir in the chocolate chips and mix until everything is well combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the melted butter, warm milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cake. Spread the chocolate frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Slice and serve.
How to Store Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Store leftover chocolate zucchini cake covered or in an airtight container.
Because of all the zucchini in the cake, it stays moist really well. For longer storage, you can keep it covered in the refrigerator and let individual pieces come to room temperature before serving if you prefer a softer texture.
More Fresh Milled Flour Recipes
Fresh Milled Flour Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Equipment
- Grain mill
- Kitchen scale
- 9 x 13" baking dish
- Box grater
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- 292 g soft white wheat berries
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup melted butter (113 g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups finely shredded zucchini do not squeeze out the moisture
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the Chocolate Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup melted butter (75 g)
- ⅓ cup milk room temp or warmed with the melted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the flour. Weigh and mill the soft white wheat berries on a fine setting. In a medium bowl, whisk the freshly milled flour together with the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Shred the zucchini. Finely shred the zucchini. Do not squeeze out the moisture. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until combined. The mixture will be dry and crumbly at this point. This is normal.
- Add the zucchini. Stir in the finely shredded zucchini until evenly combined. Let the mixture rest for 10–15 minutes to allow the zucchini to release its moisture and the freshly milled flour to hydrate.
- Preheat the oven. While the batter rests, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- Add the chocolate chips. After the batter has rested, stir in the chocolate chips and mix until everything is well combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
- Make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Frost the cake. Spread the chocolate frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake. Slice and serve.
