Southern Zucchini Fudge Cake

You haven’t had chocolate cake until you taste this Southern Zucchini Fudge Cake! With a super chocolatey, moist, dense cake and a creamy, fudge-like chocolate icing, you’ll never know it has hidden veggies! Plus, it’s all made in one pan – no mixer required!

Zucchini is the secret ingredient in this recipe.

Moisture: Zucchini has a high water content, which helps keep the cake moist without making it heavy. This is especially useful in baked goods to prevent them from drying out.

Texture: It contributes a tender crumb to the cake, making it softer and more enjoyable.

Subtle Flavor: Zucchini has a mild flavor that usually blends well with other ingredients, so it doesn’t overpower the cake’s taste. It often takes on the flavors of the other ingredients, like chocolate or spices.

What is a Southern Zucchini Fudge Cake?

Although it has the word “fudge” in the name, this chocolate zucchini cake doesn’t contain any actual fudge but tastes similar to the creamy, rich fudge treat. Fudge cake is made with a leavening ingredient so it rises, whereas fudge doesn’t use this ingredient and is more like candy.

It’s Made in One Pot

That’s right, one POT! This cake recipe is made in a nontraditional way. It starts with butter, cocoa, and water boiling over the stove. Then, all other ingredients are added directly to the pot to form the batter! It’s the easiest chocolate zucchini cake recipe.

Tips

1. When heating the ingredients, watch so it doesn’t get too hot and start to burn to the bottom.
2. Take the cake out of the oven when the center looks not quite done. It will set as the cake cools and helps add to the consistency of the fudge.

Ingredients in Southern Zucchini Fudge Cake

CAKE

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch process cocoa
• 1/2 cup buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tbsp white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill with milk to reach 1 cup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs – beaten
• 3 cups shredded zucchini – I use a box cutter
• Icing
• 1/2 cup butter
• 5-6 tbs cocoa
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

CAKE

• Whisk flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
• Add butter, cocoa, and water to a saucepan and boil. Reduce heat to low as soon it starts to boil.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the saucepan and whisk together to make sure the sugar is dissolved – again watch it so it doesn’t scald
• Add buttermilk, vanilla and eggs and mix together well until it’s smooth. Gently fold in zucchini
• Pour batter into a 9X13-inch prepared pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Once a toothpick comes out clean from the middle, it’s ready to take out, but make sure it still feels a little underdone. It should have a very soft texture, unlike traditional cake.
• Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. The cake should not be warm when you add the icing, or it will melt.

ICING

• Add butter, cocoa, and milk to a saucepan and boil. Once it starts to boil, turn to low; be sure not to scald
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth
• Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools

Southern Zucchini Fudge Cake

Moist, dense chocolate cake with a creamy fudgy icing and loaded with fresh zucchini

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, southern

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup buttermilk – you can also use 1/2 cup of milk and a splash of vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs beaten
• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• ICING
• ½ cup butter
• 5-6 tbs unsweetened or dutch processed cocoa powder dutch processed gives it a richer chocolate flavor
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

 

• CAKE
• Whisk flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside
• Add butter, cocoa and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low as soon it starts to boil
• Add the flour mixture to the saucepan and whisk together to make sure sugar is dissolved
• Mix in buttermilk, vanilla and eggs and mix together really well
• Gently fold in the zucchini
• Pour into a well greased 9X13 inch pan
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. This cake tastes best when the center almost feels undercooked. Make sure to take it out before the edges start to cook to much. They shouldn’t be tough like a brownie. You want the whole cake to be soft and moist.
• Allow to cool for 30 minutes. You don’t want the cake to be warm when you add the icing or it will melt.
• ICING
• Add butter, cocoa and milk to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once it starts to boil turn to low
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth

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