This easy to make gluten free chocolate cake might become your new favorite dessert because it’s fudgy, moist, rich, and so chocolaty! It’s a delicious vegan chocolate cake that is also perfect for birthdays! The recipe is not only gluten free but also plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free), refined sugar-free, oil-free, and quite healthy because it contains zucchini and sweet potato!
Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Where do I begin? I think I just went to chocolate heaven after eating a slice of this delicious vegan chocolate cake. I am not kidding, this cake is so tasty even though it contains zucchini! The zucchini adds moisture, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Check out this article to read about the health benefits of zucchini.
Chocolate cakes have a bad reputation because normally they contain lots of sugar, eggs, and butter but not this one! Even though it’s a healthy chocolate cake, it tastes absolutely amazing. Also, would you guess that the creamy frosting contains sweet potatoes? I bet you wouldn’t! 😀
Oil-Free Cake
I love to bake but I actually never follow any recipes which I find online because most of them aren’t very healthy. A quick Google search for chocolate cake reveals lots of recipes that contain either butter or a cup of oil. I mean seriously, who wants to eat a cake with so much oil or butter?! Your arteries won’t be happy.
I do have some recipes which contain a few tablespoons of oil but sometimes, I try to completely skip the oil. Even though oil is plant-based it’s a refined food that contains 100% fat and no fiber at all. So whenever possible I rather consume the whole plant and not the oil.
For example, instead of avocado oil, I eat an avocado. Or instead of coconut oil, I eat coconut meat. Whole foods are always complete and contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. which makes them much healthier.
I am not saying that this gluten free chocolate cake is fat-free because it is not. Fat adds taste and a great texture to baked goods, furthermore, it’s important to eat a diet with healthy fats. However, you can get similar results with ground nuts or seeds (like almond flour, nut butter, etc).
How To Make A Gluten Free Chocolate Cake?
I promise that the recipe isn’t hard to follow. I also included step-by-step process shots for easy visual instructions. You can find the list of ingredients, measurements, nutrition facts, and instructions in the printable recipe below.
- Process the dry ingredients in a blender, then transfer them to a mixing bowl.
- Add wet ingredients and stir with a whisk or hand mixer.
- Grate the zucchini.
- Add the zucchini to the chocolate batter and stir with a spoon.
- Transfer the batter to a lined and greased springform or use two pans (read the thorough instructions below in the recipe card).
- Bake in the oven.
- Make the sweet potato frosting in a food processor or blender.
- Frost the cake.
You can use a different frosting, maybe you want to keep it simple and just use a glaze, like the one in my Healthy No-Bake Brownies.
Flour Substitutes
Like all my recipes, this chocolate cake is vegan and gluten-free. The recipe contains brown rice flour and no “complicated” flour blend. If you aren’t gluten-free though, you can try out regular flour. One reader reported in the comments that she made the cake successfully with all-purpose flour.
Other readers reported that the cake came out fine with white rice flour or with a store-bought gluten-free flour blend. You can make your own brown rice flour (from brown dry rice) in a good high-speed blender, however, store-bought flour is typically finer and less grainy.
I don’t recommend using coconut flour because it’s very absorbent and would dry out the cake.
The Perfect Birthday Cake
If you were looking for an allergy-friendly chocolate cake for a birthday, then look no further. This vegan and gluten free chocolate cake is a wonderful birthday cake because normally everyone loves chocolate, not only kids but also adults. A moist and rich chocolate cake was always my favorite birthday cake. I mean, you can never have enough chocolate in your life, right?! I hope you will give it a try and surprise your loved ones with this eggless chocolate cake for their birthdays.
Tips And Variations
- Make chocolate muffins: Pour the batter into a muffin pan and reduce the baking time by about 15-20 minutes. Make a toothpick test after 25 minutes.
- Add some flavor: You could add orange zest to make a chocolate orange cake! It’s a nice and refreshing twist!
- Add chocolate chips: If you love chocolate as much as I do, feel free to add dairy-free chocolate chips for a triple chocolate cake.
Sweet Potato Frosting
You can make this chocolate zucchini cake with or without frosting. However, if you make it without the frosting it will be a little boring. The frosting is actually so rich, tasty and creamy, so I definitely recommend it. Furthermore, the sweet potatoes make the frosting not only thick but also pretty healthy.
This delicious gluten free chocolate cake is so simple and every chocolate lover will enjoy it. If you try it out, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me with @elavegan on Instagram and/or Facebook. Don’t forget to use #elavegan as well, otherwise, I won’t see your post.
For more delicious vegan chocolate cake recipes, definitely visit the following blog posts:
- Vegan Lava Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Pie
- The Best Vegan Brownies
- Flourless Brownies
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Caramel Chocolate Brownies
- Vegan Zucchini Brownies
- Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake With Zucchini
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup (240 g) brown rice flour (*see notes)
- 1 cup (150 g) coconut sugar (*see notes)
- 3/4 cup (66 g) cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds or ground chia seeds
- 3/4 cup (66 g) shredded unsweetened coconut (*see notes)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
- 2 cups (lightly packed) (240 g) grated zucchini (*see notes)
- 1 1/3 cup (320 ml) coconut milk canned (regular or lite) (*see notes)
- 3-4 tbsp (80 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
Sweet potato frosting:
- 2 small (300 g) sweet potatoes cooked
- 1 cup (240 g) sunflower seed butter or nut butter of choice
- 1/3 cup (105 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
- 4 tbsp (24 g) cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/8 to 1/2 cup (120 ml) plant-based milk canned (amount depends on consistency / read instructions)
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Check the step-by-step process shots above in the blog post.
- Process all dry ingredients in a food processor or blender for a couple of seconds. Transfer the dry ingredients to a big bowl.
- Whisk the coconut milk and agave syrup together in a bowl and pour it over the dry ingredients. Give the mixture a good stir (you can also use a hand mixer if you want).
- Grate the zucchini and add it to the batter. Stir with a spoon (don't use a blender or food processor).
- Grease a 7-inch or 8-inch springform with some oil or line it with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the springform and bake it in the oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 45 minutes (check the center of the cake with a toothpick after 40 minutes to see if it's cooked already).Note: If you have two 7-inch or 8-inch pans, then split the batter in half and pour it into each pan. This way you won't need to cut the cake in the middle. The baking time will be less if you use two pans.
- Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes. Then carefully cut cake layers with a large knife or use dental floss (like I did).
- Process all ingredients for the frosting in your food processor or high-speed blender until you have a thick, fluffy and creamy frosting. If you use white sweet potatoes (which are very starchy) you will need more plant-based milk (I used 1/2 cup but you might need even more). If you use orange sweet potatoes 1/4 cup plant-based milk should be enough.
- Frost the cake and enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Notes
- Some readers reported that they made the cake successfully with all-purpose flour. Cassava flour seems to work fine too. One reader reported that almond flour is unfortunately not working in this recipe.
- You can use any granulated sweetener of choice, for example, cane sugar, date sugar, etc.
- You can use 66 grams of ground nuts or seeds of choice instead of shredded unsweetened coconut.
- I recommend using canned coconut milk, however, you can also use different plant-based milk with the addition of 3 tablespoons of oil.
- I didn't drain zucchini but if yours is very watery it's recommended to drain it.
- The Nutrition Facts are for one slice if you cut the cake into 12 slices. Calculation includes the frosting! Without the frosting, the cake has approximately 213 kcal and 6.8 grams fat per slice.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Equipment
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Can I use canned coconut cream instead of canned coconut/dairy free milk for the frosting?
Yes, I think that should work fine. 🙂
Hey Ela!
Made this cake a couple of times and absolutely love it! My only problem is that the cake turns out a little dry and crumbles when I cut it. What would you advise me to do to make it more moist ? Thank you!!!♥️
Hello Marina, I am glad you love it! You could add a little oil to make it moister. 🙂
Ela,
Have just made this recipe…using scale to weigh ingredients. My frosting seems to be runny and being new to planted based eating I am not sure how to correct. I would appreciate any suggestions. Can’t wait to try…batter was delish!!
Hi Stacy, you could add more cocoa powder until it’s thicker.
Hi Ela,
I just made your recipe for the cake and found that the batter was very thick. I didnt have brown rice, so used rice flour instead
I weighed all ingredients and used canned full cream coconut milk. I feel that the milk used needed to be more watery? My zucchini shreds were also visible after baking, unlike your pictured cake. I had hand grated the zucchini, perhaps in needed to be finer?0 The taste is pleasant though and any insight would be greatly appreciated to improve my next attempt.
Hi Denise, it sounds like your creamy coconut milk was too thick, you can use a lighter version next time. Also, try brown rice flour, it might make a difference. 🙂
I made this cake last week and I’m in love! I added chocolate chips to the batter. I want to try to use the same recipe but sub bananas for the zucchini and omit the chocolate (one of my daughters is allergic). Any advice? Do you think the bananas with have enough moisture?
Hello Anna, I am so glad you loved it! Do you mean allergic to chocolate or also to cocoa powder? I am not sure how the cake turns out without cocoa powder. If she is allergic to cocoa powder too, then I would rather recommend making vegan banana bread (without the chocolate chips). 🙂
You could use carob powder to substitute cocoa.
Great idea! 🙂
Hi Ela, this recipe looks amazing! Please could you let me know what I may use as a substitute for shredded coconut? Will omitting it entirely have any impact on the final cake?
Hello! As mentioned in the recipe notes, you can use any ground nuts or seeds of choice. 🙂
Would pumpkin work in the frosting in lieu of the sweet potato?
Hi Amanda, I think it should be fine, but I would definitely use less plant-based milk. 🙂
Hi, I’m really excited to make this recipe soon. I was wondering if the granulated sugar is needed for structure of the cake, or only for sweetener? Would I be able to use liquid maple syrup in lieu of granulated sugar? Unfortunately, I’m allergic to coconut, so coconut sugar isn’t an option for me.. Thank you 🙂 I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Amber, I am not sure if a liquid sweetener would work, as I never tried it in this recipe. But I just read that someone who commented tried it, and it seemed to work just fine. 🙂 You could also use Erythritol (e.g. Swerve) or try the maple syrup. 🙂
Thank you. I forgot to ask about xanthan gum . . . my 1:1 gluten free baking mix has xanthan gum in it, do you think this will change the result in terms of moisture? We like a nice moist cake 🙂 which is what this recipe seems to be.
Hi Amber, I think that should be totally fine. It might even turn out better or rise slightly more. 🙂
Hi Ela, I just thought I’d update . . . This recipe is very moist and delicious, thank you 🙂 I tried my 1:1 mix, and unfortunately, I do not recommend using a mix with xanthan gum (incase anyone else is curious), as it gave the cake a “marshmallow-y” texture. But that was my own fault as my flour was different than what the recipe called for. I’m sure the texture would have been better without the xanthan gum. Tasted great other wise. I hope this helps future bakers – I’m not very experienced with gluten free baking, but followed the weighted measurements and it would have worked out perfectly had I not used a mix that contained xanthan gum. I will finish my decadent chocolate marshmallow, and follow the recipe’s ingredients more carefully next time 🙂 The frosting was incredibly delicious!
Thanks so much for the update, that’s very kind of you, Amber! 🙂
Kind regards,
Ela
Hi
I’m trying this recipe TMW and I’m so excited and a bit scared as I’m not a big Baker.
In your opinion can I make this whole cake a day beforehand? Especially the Frosting I read on different websites that it’s better to do it right before serving. Is this true? I’m also thinking of putting some blueberries on top. I guess it’s best to do that just before serving right? Thanks I basically don’t know anything about baking haha. Thanks
Hi Trui, you can make it a day beforehand, that’ no problem. As long as you cover the cake, it should be fine. I keep it in the fridge since I live in the tropics, and the frosting does harden slightly. Yes, add the blueberries right before serving. 🙂
So I’m not accustomed to baking by weight and when I weigh the ingredients, they don’t equal the cup measurements. My rice flour measured over 1 1/2 cups, and my coconut sugar measured less than 1 cup. Do I need a new scale or just choose to follow weight vs cup measuring?
Hey Dawn! Please follow the weight measurements. Our rice flour isn’t finely ground, so the cup measurements might differ. The weight measurements are accurate. 🙂
What do you mean cut the cake with floss? Did you put frosting in between layers? Thanks
Yes! Put the frosting between two layers. It’s best to bake the cake in two pans, so you don’t have to cut it. 🙂
Ela, any recommendations for nuts/ seeds in place unsweetened shredded coconut? cz my kid sensitive with coconut so I highly avoiding anything with coconut.
Hi Lisa, please check the recipe notes below, where I offer different options. 🙂
Can I used unbleached almond flour or can I simply omit this ground nut?
Yes, you can use unbleached almond flour. Do not omit it. 🙂
Hi
What liquid to use, if I wanna completely omit zucchini. And can normal white rice flour is fine?
Thank you,
Shraddha
Hi! I wouldn’t recommend omitting the zucchini, but you can add pumpkin instead. White rice flour won’t be as good in this recipe as brown rice flour.
Thank you ela for prompt reply…🙏🤗
I meant to ask is what if I don’t wanna add zucchini / carrot/ sweet potato etc….
Can you help with alternative like increase in flour qty or some liquid qty. Or add yogurt etc
Thank you
Shraddha
I am sorry, but I can’t answer this question since I haven’t tried it. Yogurt might work, but you’ll need to experiment. 🙂
Hi Instead if zucchini can I use carrots or cucumber as zucchinis are not available right now in my hometown?
Yes, you can use carrots. I would not recommend cucumber though. 🙂
Any thoughts on using oat flour? Thx!
Hi Amy, I never tried it, so you would need to experiment. 🙂
Made this yesterday as cupcakes for my boyfriend’s birthday. Turned out delicious- So moist and decadent! My boyfriend loves chocolate chips so I added that to the batter as well. I used Peanut butter for the frosting and I couldn’t stop eating it. Yum. Thank you for all the delicious recipes. I so appreciate your blog and all the GF, vegan healthy recipes!
That’s fantastic, Crystal! I am glad the cupcakes turned out delicious. 🙂
Hi, how can I replace zucchini
You could use grated carrot or pumpkin instead of zucchini.
bad news. this cake did NOT turn out at all. after 45 min it was bubbling in the oven and the edges had crept up the side of the pan. I kept adding 5 minute increments to see if it would cook but after double the listed baking time, no results. I see that most reviews are positive, so this must have been my error. I did use almond flour instead, but I dont believe that is the problem. My zucchini was very watery and I think there was too much water in the batter, as it was very liquidy. I didn’t drain the zucchini as it didn’t say so in the recipe, but I think that is a must especially if yours is more watery than usual.
Hi Katie, I am pretty sure it was the almond flour! I think someone tried it out before and it didn’t work, which is no surprise because almond flour is totally different from rice flour. Almond flour = 100% ground almonds that have over 50% fat. It’s not comparable to rice flour at all. I hope you will give it another try with the ingredients mentioned in the recipe because it works great. 🙂
Hi! Thanks for the recipe. Excited to try it. Have you ever used carbonated water to make gluten- free cakes rise? Like maybe replacing some of the coconut milk/liquid in a recipe. It’s worked in pancakes for me but I’ve never baked a GF cake before
I have tried it in the past but not for GF/vegan recipes. I should give it another try. 🙂
Hi ela
Made it for a second time in two weeks….it was even better this time round since I had a new otg…..I have two questions…I have extra frosting left what can I do with it and can I freeze part of the cake for later.
Thanks
Meghana
Hi Meghana! Yes, you can freeze the cake, that’ fine. You can use the frosting for muffins to make cupcakes but you can also freeze it. 🙂
Awesome recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing Ela. Made it today for my boyfriend’s mom and it was a hit.
The cake was super rich and flavorful. I did it with things we had at home to avoid the stores, so used regular flour and 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar.
I also had to do another vegan frosting (chocolate chips, tofu, cashews and maple syrup) as I didn’t have sweet potatoes but it was still amazing and very easy to make!
This has been my first cake (ever) made from scratch. Thanks for being my inspiration of my new and vegan creations!
Kudos on your website 🤩🤩
My pleasure, Nati! I am glad you loved the cake. Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Hi! Thank you for this recipe it was a hit on Mother’s Day! I made it with cassava flour instead because the first time round I used sweet rice flour but that turned out terrible the inside didn’t cook at all was thinking of steaming it next time if I use white rice flour, have you tried steaming? But thank you again love this cake! I’ll have to try the rest of your recipes 🙂
Hey Claire, no, I never tried steaming. I am so glad it turned out amazing with Cassava flour, I should give that a try!
So happy the cake was a hit. 🙂
I’ll try steaming the next time when I make it out of sweet white rice flour & let you know how it turns out 🙂
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday, and everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing this, it’s hard to find something good to make with so many dietary restrictions, and a picky eater in the house! And the picky 4 year old even loved it!!
So happy it turned out delicious. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Hi Ela
I don’t have access to brown rice flour, would Bob’s red mill 1-1 flour do it for this cake?
Also, is there a substitute for zucchini for this recipe? Or do you have any ideas? where I live we have something similar to zucchini but it’s not quite as juicy, it’s number 5 in this list:
https://food52.com/blog/4196-down-dirty-summer-squash
Greetings from Mexico!
Thank you very much!!!
Hi Dania, the 1:1 flour should be fine! And yes, you can use the no. 5. It also grows where I live and I have used it before. Here it’s called calabacin. 🙂
Dear Ela,
First of all thank you very much for your recipe. I’ve made my cake yesterday for my birthday and it was soooo delicious. My friends sons t even noticed that there was some zucchini in there. Unfortunately I didn’t had rice flour so I’ve used wheat flour. I also topped my cake with some strawberries.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much for your great feedback, Maryam! I am so glad the cake turned out delicious. 🙂
Hello! Looks absolutely delish and can’t wait to try it! One question – I would still like to use a frosting that is packed with vitamins and minerals like this one, however I am unfortunately horribly allergic to sweet potatoes. Do you have any substitution suggestions? Thanks!
You could use regular potatoes (I would use less though as they are starchier). Hope this helps! 🙂
Made this cake it turned out to be superb! Replaced the coconut milk with almond milk and 3 tbsp of coconut oil and used cacao powder instead of cocoa. It turned out fabulous! Thank you for the recipe
So happy you loved the recipe, Anchal. 🙂
I am just a big fan of all your recipes, I can’t even hide it. I couldn’t even taste the sweet potato, only thing I’d change if I’m going to make this another time is cut down the amount of frosting on like 2/3 or even half the ingredients, because even with making three layers, there was a lot of frosting left. I didn’t want to overfill the cake, because the cream already is quite heavy. The taste is amazing, though!
Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Maja! 🙂
Hello
Do the grated zuchini have to sit and drained of liquid?
Hi Tanja! I actually didn’t drain it but there wasn’t a lot of liquid. If yours is very watery, then I would drain it. 🙂
I did wait or drain liquid.
My cake did not rise one bit… why?
Sorry i did not wait
The cake is gluten-free and doesn’t rise. If you want it to raise, you’ll need to use all-purpose flour or spelt flour. 🙂
Thanks Ela
I did use all purpose flour. I wasn’t able to cut in half and just froated the one layer. It still tasted amazing. Will try again for sure.
Thank you, Tanja
That’s fine. I am glad it tasted amazing. 🙂
Just wanted to come on quickly to tell you I made your cake today, and it was a hit!! Even my 8yr old son liked it, and he’s not a big chocolate fan! And oh my word, after eating a slice, I now know why you split it into TWELVE slices, lol! Super decadent, and so very yummy–thank you!! I tagged you on my IG pic of it before we dug in. ❤️
Aww, that’s awesome Susannah! I am so glad you all loved the chocolate cake. 🙂
Such a great cake! We made it for our sons first birthday!
I am so glad it turned out delicious! 🙂
I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times now. Simply love it. Not to complicated to make. I don’t have brown rice floor, but I use integral or semi integral rice floor. It works just fine with it! I tried a lot of your recipes till now, and have no complaints. 😁
Ps:would love to post a picture, but..
Aww that’s awesome, Orsi! I am so happy you love the cake and many other of my recipes.
Much love 🙂
I want to do this cake for the holiday with my family. But, I would like to use carob. Can you tell me what accomodations I should follow to make the cake with carob powder ?
Hi Nina, I think it should be fine if you use carob instead of cocoa powder. 🙂
Hi Ella! This looks just perfect! ! Can I use 2 regular eggs instead of the chia seeds..?? Thank you and keep up the great work you are amazing !!!
Hello Sofia, I cannot tell you how the cake will turn out if you use eggs since I never use eggs in baking but I think it might work.
Thanks for your kind comment. 🙂
Hi Ela, this looks amazing! Can i use oats flour instead of rice flour?
LG
I would rather recommend Cassava flour, buckwheat flour, or maybe even quinoa flour. You could try oat flour though, however, the cake might turn out more dense. 🙂
Hi Ela,
How about almond flour? Out looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it?
Thanks!
Hi Briana, I never tried almond flour. 🙂
Please report back if you give it a try!
I’m interested in trying almond flour. How did it turn out?
Unfortunately, most people never report back.
Hey I tried this recipe and it turned out great. Thanks for sharing a great recipe
I am glad you liked the cake! 🙂
Can the nut butters be substituted by vegan butter such as Earth Balance. Thank you
Hi Margaret, that should be fine. 🙂
Could you give a weight for how much sweet potato please?
Hi Roxanne, it’s 300 grams of cooked sweet potatoes. 🙂
Hi, I just read through all the comments but couldn’t find an answer to my question — I apologize in advance if it was already answered and I missed it. Can I use canned sweet potatoes for the frosting? If so how much or how big of a can? The recipe just says “two small sweet potatoes” and I’m not sure what that means quantity-wise. I am lazy and don’t really want to spend time peeling and cooking potatoes, that’s why I was hoping to just use canned instead. Thank you!
Hi Jen! You need 300 grams as mentioned in the recipe (metric). 🙂 Using metric measurements is always better for gluten-free vegan desserts. I never tried canned sweet potatoes though, aren’t they quite mushy? If they have a similar texture to cooked sweet potatoes, you can definitely use canned. 🙂
Nice recipe, I’m sure it would turn out great, but I won’t be making it. I just think that the way you present it, the way you write and answer comments is quite impolite. And yes, some people don’t have access to rice flour OR a high speed blender, no need to ask “Is there a reason you don’t want to use rice flour?”. Obviously there is if they asked. (There’s plenty of reasons: can’t eat rice, doesn’t like rice, on a diet where it’s not allowed etc.) And if you are aiming for success with your blog, you can’t simply say that you haven’t tried it with any other flour. It’s your recipe, therefore your brand, it’s meant to teach others how to make it so YOU are the one that should experiment with it with more common ingredients, especially if there’s people, your followers, asking you. I’m not trying to be mean, I just didn’t expect such a defensive and kind of mean stance from a healthy food blog. You always need to give people options, that’s the point of a blog post, that’s why we’re here, to expand on the subject. Otherwise we would’ve just read a recipe. Hope you don’t take this the wrong way, simply some constructive criticism.
(FYI rice flour isn’t the most common thing, especially brown rice flour)
Hello Dee! 🙂 No offense taken! I offer plenty of options for other recipes. Just browse my site and you will see that my readers are always very grateful for me offering MANY options! However, vegan AND gluten-free desserts are often quite difficult to make.
I can only offer substitutes for recipes that I tried with different ingredients. But that’s not always possible for me. I live on an island with limited access to most ingredients and therefore I can’t try out every cake recipe with 10 different flour options, that is simply NOT possible (even if I wanted)!
Asking if there is a reason not to use a specific ingredient is not impolite at all. It’s a valid question. I often hear answers like “it’s Sunday and I don’t have XYZ in my pantry”…
Furthermore, you need to understand that I run my blog myself, I don’t have employees. I share every single recipe for free, there are no hidden costs! I answer all my comments and private message on social media until 1:30 am and I work 14-15 hours every day, 7 days a week. Telling me that I am mean is quite rude in my opinion…
Great response to the person above.. maybe someone has a little too much time on their hands.. 🤷♀️
Your doing a great job! I have only tried one of you recipes so far.. the Spanish rice, was great, even a hit with a 5yr old boy (winning!!) did some fresh lime to it whilst cooking and some more stock..
As for the cake.. just wondering does the cooked sweet steamed, boiled or baked in the oven? Skin on or off?
Thanks again
Hi Kirsty, thank you so much for your sweet comment. 💖 I am glad you and your boy enjoyed the Spanish rice. 🙂
I used white, peeled sweet potatoes and boiled them. If you have orange sweet potatoes I would recommend steaming them or baking them in the oven.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Seeing that someone would write that initial comment makes my blood boil! Asking why they can’t eat something is a valid question – especially if it helps you give other suggestions. And you’re right when you answered that you’re doing this all for free. It’s not as if we are paying a subscription for these recipes. You can’t help everyone in every situation – you’re just sharing what works for you and hoping that it’ll work for others too! Don’t mind the rude trolls – they obviously have other issues they’re dealing with!
Anyhow – I’ve made this recipe a few times with different tweaks (GF flour, all purpose flour, different frostings, etc). It’s always turned out well. The amount of frosting is a bit much for us, so I usually cut it down. And the flavor of sunflower seed butter can be overwhelming when I use it. So lately I’ve just been doing sweet potato, cocoa butter, maple syrup, vanilla and it’s delicious with your cake! I’ve made it as a 2 layered cake and cupcakes and they’re both a hit. Many people say “ehh vegan? No thanks” but this cake convinces them that vegan can be tasty! And honestly I try to incorporate veggies into all my baked goods. I’ve also used a mixture of zucchini and carrots and that’s been great as well! Keep up the great work Ela! My family and I appreciate it. (We aren’t vegan, but we have multiple allergies)
Aww, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment, Kris. I really appreciate it.
And I am very happy you love this cake, even with some modifications. 🙂
Much love, Ela
I have to agree. Your recipes are some of the most amazing I have found as vegan or otherwise. You are very talented. These posts are very easy to follow and the pictures are great! It would be hard to know all substitutions possible for every recipe. I bet it took days to figure out just one dessert recipe and perfecting the combinations. So no need to apologize at all! Thank you for your kindness in sharing your vegan recipe genius!
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Sofia. It makes me so happy to receive so much support from my community! I wish I could send you a hug. 🙂
Much love, Ela
I fully agree Ela. You’re quite gracious to actually reply to Dee. The span of life is so limited & I’m often amazed that people have the time for confrontation, negativity or anything unkind. Thanks Ela for fantastic recipes. Keep shining while continually being conscious of all forms of life and our planet.
Dear Jean, thank you very much for your beautiful comment and nice compliment, I really appreciate it. 🙂
Hello i saw this recipe from your site with the Organic Protein and I would like to give it a try, but can if I use coconut flour how much should I use? Because I have read before that it takes less because it absorbs more water. Thanks in advance!
Hey! I do not recommend coconut flour in this recipe. It would probably make the cake dry and not moist.
Hi Ela!
I need a substitute for brown rice flour, you mentioned once before quinoa flour or buckwheat, just want to make sure that would still be fine in this recipe!
Thanks
Hi Stacey! Buckwheat flour should be fine. Please report back if you give it a try! 🙂
Hello. I don’ like coconut taste but would love to make your cake! I can see that I can sub shredded coconut to nuts. But is it possible to sub coconut milk both in batter and cream to smith else please? Thanks very much in advance!
Hi Marta! Yes, you can use ground nuts (e.g. almond flour) instead of the shredded unsweetened coconut.
For the frosting, you can use any plant-based milk instead of lite coconut milk.
However, if you use different milk in the wet ingredients, I would strongly recommend adding 2-3 tablespoons of oil, otherwise, the cake will turn out too dry.
Hi Ela,
This cake looks amazing and i will try to bake it for my son’ birthday 🙂
I only have a 25cm pan, so a slightly larger pan than the one you use. How do you a should adapt my ingredients? Do you think i should add 1/4 of the amount of everything?
Thank you very much!
Maya
I would use 50% more of everything. Hope this helps. 🙂
I made this cake today and I am seriously disappointed. I followed the recipe to a T and weighed the ingredients (as opposed to using cup measurements). But after pouring the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, the resultant mixture was dough-like and not batter-like. I had to add more coconut milk (250 ml) to loosen it up. It took ages to cook, as well. I bake a lot and know my oven – so I don’t know what went wrong. Taste-wise it was nothing like cake, more like bread.
Hello Binu! Very sorry it didn’t turn out as it should. I believe something must have gone totally wrong. I have made the recipe many times and it always turns out great. Also, when you check the reviews, there is nobody who described the same problem. Did you maybe use coconut flour instead of shredded unsweetened coconut?
Hi Ela, I used organic desiccated coconut and organic brown rice flour. I belong to a place where rice (and rice flour) and coconut are part of our staple diet.
I must say that in spite of the problems, the cake/bread is quite tasty. My son is happy to eat it.
It’s a healthy recipe; so will give it another go. Fingers crossed, it will be a success, the second time around.
Hi Ela,
The recipe calls for 1.5 cups or 240g of brown rice flour. I used the weight measurement (240g) when I made the cake. Out of curiosity, I weighed 1.5 cups of brown rice flour and discovered that it comes to only 190g. Could this be the problem?
Hello, the rice flour that I am using weighs 160 grams per cup. Also, if you check Cronometer.com or other sites online it says 1 cup of rice flour weighs 160 grams. I assume it depends on the brand. Maybe some are finer than others.
It’s a household favourite and I haven’t even made it with the icing! Thanks for the yummy recipe
That’s awesome, Fernanda! Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
Can you put beetroot in this ???
Do you mean instead of the zucchini? It might work but I never tried it. 🙂
I recently tried beets in a cake recipe and it turned out amazing, that’s what intrigued me to this recipe. I’d give the beets a try!!
Sounds great!
Hey Ela!
I will bake this with soy flour because it’s all I have.
I’ve researched that it may result in denser, drier cake.
I will add more zucchini, or perhaps yogurt, to balance it out.
If you have any advice for this alternative, pls lmk.
Will post results 🙂
Never tried soy flour. Please report back how it turned out (without rating the recipe because you are going to change it). Hope it will work. 🙂
Hi!
This looks absolutely delicious. I was wondering what you believe could substitute the shredded. Iconic? My fiancé has no problem with coconut flour, milk, etc but cannot stand shredded coconut!! Thanks so much!
Shredded coconut** sorry for the typo!
Hi Caroline! It’s actually mentioned in the recipe notes. 🙂 I will copy and paste it for you:
“Instead of shredded coconut you can also use 66 grams of ground nuts or seeds of choice.”
Hello ela
Just wanted to know if the groundnuts need to be roasted or can be used as it is…also can one use fresh grated coconut.
Thanks
Meghana
Hello Meghana, the ground nuts don’t need to be roasted. I never tried freshly grated coconut, and I am not sure if it will work because it contains a lot of moisture as opposed to desiccated coconut. 🙂
Hi ela
I made the cake day before and it was super yummy…my husband loved it and I sent some for my friends and they loved it too…couldn’t believe that it had zucchini and sweet potato in it…thanks for the recipe … will make it again❤️❤️❤️
I am so glad you and your friends loved it, Meghana! Thanks so much for your great feedback. 🙂
Can you use date sugar in place of the coconut sugar?
Absolutely! 🙂
This is the most delicious vegan cake I’ve ever made. My birthday friends lovef it. I used fresh raspberry in the center.
I made this recipe twice so easy and delicious.
Thank you
Awesome! So happy you loved it. Would you mind leaving a rating for the recipe? Thanks! 🙂
Yum! My son LOVED his chocolate cake for his birthday! He has a lot of allergies and it’s so nice to find a good recipe he can eat! It was moist and delicious and so easy to make! I have made it two more times since then in cupcake/muffin form and they are even more fluffy and delicious, I add some chocolate chips on top instead of icing and freeze them for treats for him…. thank you!
That’s awesome, Justine! So happy you and your son loved my recipe. 🙂
I have been looking for a vegan gluten-free chocolate cake recipe for a long time and wow this one is simply superb… I tried it out and it is delicious and moist. My daughter is a little fussy sometimes and she saw me make it and she loves it which is such a bonus, you have no idea! Thank you so much or such a lovely recipe, you are amazing.
Wow, I am so glad you liked my vegan chocolate cake recipe! Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Char! 🙂
Hello Ella, looks delicious i wanted to ask the sweet potatoes need to be boiled or oven cooked ?
I boil them but cooking is fine too! 🙂
Hi Ela
I’m making this cake for the New Years Eve celebration. Best way to ring in the new year has to be with lots of good comforting chocolate. As I have to work today and into tomorrow I’m making the frosting tomorrow and that means I’ll be carrying the ingredients with me to my friends’ home one hour away. I hope to be successful and make a pretty cake for my friends and their kids.
Sounds amazing, Valeria! I hope the cake turns out beautiful and delicious. Enjoy! 🙂
This was incredible. I used regular all purpose flour and it turned out great. Def do not skip blending the coconut flakes/dry ingredients. Thanks!!!
Thanks for your comment, Ina! 🙂
Hi Ella, do white sweet potatoes work for the frosting as we cannot get orange in Mauritius 🙁
Hi! I used white sweet potatoes as well like mentioned in the recipe instructions. 😉 “If you use white sweet potatoes (which are very starchy) you will need more plant-based milk (I used 1/2 cup). If you use orange sweet potatoes 1/8 – 1/4 cup plant-milk should be enough”
Hi Ela!
I am trying this recipe today as cupcakes! I think I just have to cook it for less time, but I am a little worried that the zucchini will not cook in that time. I am so excited to try this out, thank you!
Hi Chrissy, yes they will be done in less time. You can make a toothpick test after 25-30 minutes and check if they are already cooked. 🙂
I did it with Doves Farm Plain Flour because I didnt have rice flour and worked really well. Love it. The best vegan and gf cake that I tried. Thanks for the recipe.
xx
Yay, I am so glad to hear that. Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Looks delicious. I don’t eat coconut for health reasons. Is it possible to replace the shredded coconut and the light coconut milk in the frosting with something else? Thanks.
Hi Jeanette, instead of shredded unsweetened coconut you can use any ground nuts/seeds as mentioned in the recipe notes.
You can substitute any plant-based cream (e.g. oat cream, soy cream) for the coconut milk. I wouldn’t recommend boxed plant-based milk since it’s watered down a lot. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi Ela, thank you so much for your reply, I appreciate it. Wonderful, I will use ground nuts/seeds instead and another plant-based cream instead.of coconut milk! Thanks , I will not use a boxed plant-based milk for the frosting. I look forward to making the cake.
Great, I hope you will like it. 🙂
Hi Ela, I have been meaning to bake something chocolatey yesterday but didn’t get to it. Was prepping meals, boiling legumes and smoothie packs for the week ahead. And I am.really on about vegan baking. So whenever I see something that looks so delicious(like your chocolate cake) I want to try and thanks God you have a blog. My first time here and I love reading it!
I have white rice flour in my cabinet.. Cooked all brown rice yesterday lol, do you think it would do? Either way i am trying this recipe today! I keep you posted Ela.
Thanks for your kind comment. I haven’t tried to make this cake with white rice flour, but it should turn out ok. Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
Hi again Ela, Yes, I did bake it! Sadly my white rice flour wasn’t enough so I mixed with an all purpose gluten free one, the cake turned out denser than I expected so will definitely shop some brown rice flour(I must re create it again) For the frosting I used peanut butter as I do not have sunflower butter(the taste was too peanutty* lol)So, I must find me sunflower butter or blend up some. Will keep you updated when I do get to baking it again, for now, I will tag you on Instagram on my amateur baking of your wonderful recipe. Sending you warm kitchen vibes????????☘️. Still eating the cake today and it’s unbelievable how well the zucchini bakes and sweet potato frosts. ????????????????????
That’s interesting. I am really curious if you will prefer the version with brown rice flour. Oh, and I really love using the organic sunflower seed butter from “Sunbutter”.
Best wishes, Ela 🙂
Have you tried this with finely ground coconut paste instead of coconut milk Ela?
Hey! No, I didn’t try it but I think it would taste great. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe Ela, made this for my child’s first birthday and it was yumm. Will add some more liquid and little more sweetness next time for our tastes. Much appreciated. Thank you.
Hello, I am glad you liked my recipe. ❤️
Lots of love, Ela
This looks incredible!!! I have to try it!
Thanks! I hope you will like it! 🙂
Unbelievable! Absolutely delicious! This recipe won over a party of non-vegans, they couldn’t believe it was made with sweet potatoes and zucchini, thank you Ela. I’ll definitely be making this one again.
Awesome, Kaitlin! I am so glad you all liked my recipe. 🙂
Hi Ela,
My son recently turned 1 and I decided to make this delicious cake for his birthday cake! It was SO incredibly scrumptious that everyone at the party (even our non-vegan) friends) loved it. Your recipes continue to amaze me. Keep up the great work!
Aww, that’s amazing, Nicole! Thanks so much for letting me know. I am happy everyone loved the cake ????
Hello, this looks amazing! Can you tell me what I can replace the flax with? I’m anaphylactic to flax. Thanks!
Hi Christine, ground chia seeds would be fine. 🙂
This was the first time I’ve seen your blog – and made your zucchini chocolate cake today – it was a big hit with everyone! I ground brown rice into a flour and followed your directions – which were spot on! Thank you for this recipe which I will be sharing. I’m eager to try your other recipes now too — so thank you! I decorated the top with fresh raspberries and it complemented the chocolate beautifully. 🙂
Wow, I am really glad to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
I made this recipe for a wedding today and it turned out deliciously! I tweaked the frosting , adding a bit more coconut milk, cocoa powder and vanilla to the frosting. Highly recommend this recipe! Fairly easy and very good!
Yay, I am really happy to hear you liked my cake and that you even made it for a wedding! Fantastic! 🙂
Hello, I haven’t made this cake yet but it’s a contender for my daughter’s 2nd birthday party. It looks amazing in the photos. I’m a little weary about the grated zucchini just being stirred into the batter without using a blender. That doesn’t make for an odd texture once it’s baked? I’d like for guests to be in awe that it’s actually a healthy vegan cake, so I’m worried if it has an unusual texture from the grated zucchini, they may not quite be in awe. I’m also wondering if almond flour would work instead of brown rice flour. I just have a lot of almond flour because that’s what I normally use for baking, so I’d have to buy brown rice flour just for this cake. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hello Catherine, don’t worry about the grated zucchini, there is no odd texture. You can also check out previous comments. 🙂 I wouldn’t blend the zucchini because it will release all the moisture and the cake will end up too dense. Not sure if the texture will be the same with almond flour, but you can give it a try and report back. 🙂
Oh my goodness! This was incredible. My children (6 and 9) devoured it. Such an easy and delicious cake. We decorated it with strawberries and made most of it (including the rice flour) in the Thermomix. Can’t taste the vegetables at all. Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
That’s aweome, Ali! Thanks so much for your incredible feedback 🙂
Looking forward to trying this one for my little guy’s first birthday smash cake! I’m trying to keep the sugar monsters away for as long as I can, especially when I’m still 200% in control of what’s put in front of him. Do you know if this will freeze well if I make it ahead of time? With or without frosting? And can I use regular round cake pans instead of the springform?
Yes, you can use regular round cake pans instead of the springform. I don’t know if the cake will freeze well because I never tried it out. But it should be no problem if you freeze it for a couple of hours. 🙂
I made this cake two days ago and we are still enjoying this yummy treat! I used roasted almond & hazelnut butter in the frosting and it worked out great! Will definitely do this cake on a more festive occasion, as it truly deserves it????????
That’s awesome, Nina! Thanks for your great feedback 🙂
This is the best vegan cakes I’ve had ever! I can’t believe it has veggies and is healthy! My mom ate some and couldn’t believe it herself. It’s so moist and lots of chocolate flavor so yummy @elavegan
Aww, thank you so much for your feedback, Sabrina! I am so happy you and your mom liked my chocolate zucchini cake. I made it again for my birthday because it’s my favorite cake as well. 🙂
Hi Ela, I’m on my second attempt at making this delicious looking cake. Both times have been an epic fail. I’m still trying desperately for this second cake to work. It’s been in the oven for over an hour and toothpick is still NOT coming out clean. This is what happened to the first cake as well. Has this happened to anyone else or is it just me?!! what am i doing wrong?? cheers Zara
Hey Zara! I am sorry you had issues. Did you use the exact same ingredients (e.g. brown rice flour etc) or did you use a different flour? Did you measure all ingredients in grams or cups? Did you follow the recipe instructions (e.g. just adding the grated zucchini to the batter and not mixing it with a food processor/blender)?
Hi Ela! I’ feel the same. I don’t like cakes with a lot of butter/sugar/oil, so I searching alway a lot until I find something wich contains no oil/butter/sugar. I baked this cake yesterday for my daughters birthday. And I have to say it is so delicious. Our non vegan friends liked so much. So thank you very much. Best wishes from a hungarien.
Makes me so happy, Renata! I am glad you loved my cake. Happy belated birthday to your daughter 🙂
I did not see this in your pre-recipe portion or in the recipe portion. Do you use the entire can of coconut milk or is is suppose to be chilled and just use the cream part? I never like to assume.
Hi Michele, I use the entire can of coconut milk, not just the cream part. Hope this helps 🙂
I made this yesterday but left put the flax and coconut and replaced with extra flour.. I have to say it was so delicious! Gooey, chocolatey but with an earthy taste that made it feel wholesome and yummy! Will def try out more of your recipes! ????
Thanks for your feedback, Chloe! I am glad the cake turned out yummy 🙂
Hi Ela! I’ve baked this chocolate zucchini cake two times in about a month already. Me and my hubby absolutely loved it! It’s amazingly delicious ????! Much better than any normal chocolate mudcake. It turned out just perfect both times, moist and sweet enough, ohh …it’s texture is superb! Although I’ve used two times less sunflower butter (first time it was with peanut butter) than you recommend in the recipe to make it less fatty, the frosting was great and delicious and looked just like in your photo anyway!!!! I am honestly becoming addicted to your blog and trying out your wonderful recipes! I’ve tried about a half of them already and all turned out just perfect ????????!!!! Thank you so much for your amazingly delicious vegan recipes and the interesting and bright blog!!!????????????????❤️???? Please invent and share more !!!! ????????????????
OMG Nataliya!!! Your comment made me so, so happy! Thanks so much for your lovely words, they really mean so much to me and motivate me to create more delicious vegan recipes. Lots of love to you ❤️ Ela
I did this recipe at home and it was absolutely delicious, a rich, moist chocolaty taste without feeling sick afterwards. A healthier cheat meal alternative!!!
That’s awesome, Lily! I am so glad you liked my recipe 🙂 Thanks for letting me know! ❤️
Hi, i wanted to know what other flour I could use since I am allergic to rice?
Would a gluten free all purpose flour work well? Thanks!
Rose
Hi Rose, I never tried to bake this cake with a gluten-free all purpose flour blend, but it should work fine in my opinion. Please get back to me if you try it out. Thanks 🙂
Super Fantastic Fudgy Vegan dream-cake! Served it for my hubby’s birthday and everyone had 2nds! Thank you so much for sharing! Keep up the wonderful work…
So glad you and your family enjoyed this chocolate zucchini cake! Thanks for your amazing feedback, Lili 🙂
Wow Ela this looks and sounds goooood 🙂 You certainly made me want to try it, and you know what, there was a birthday boy just recently who didn’t get a cake .. mainly because I didn’t have time to look for a good recipe, and I’m not a great baker myself, but this may be the one to try! Thanks for all your work on making these posts, they’re great! xx
Awww, thank you very much, Sara! So sweet of you to leave such a wonderful comment. Sending you love 🙂
Expensive! We don’t have a food processor here… Christmas gift anyone? 😉
All I can say is Yum! You made you made me drool.
So glad to hear that 😀
Hi Ela! What a glorious recipe! It is my first time to your site. Wonderful job! I need to avoid coconut for a beloved who’s allergic Can you please suggest a non processed sub for the dry coconut sugar, and any specific modifications as a result? Thank you for the note about subbing for the coconut flakes! 2. in addition, I’m wondering if any plant-based nut milk can be substituted each time where the recipe calls for coconut milk? I noticed in your frosting ingredients INSTRUCTIONS (although not for in the cake) you refer to it as “plant milk”, however in the body of the recipe it does not say the same. Are they easily interchangeable for both the cake and the frosting? If so, perhaps a recipe edit? Many people are sadly allergic to coconut.
3. Can you please specify whether the sweet potatoes are left with the skins on for the frosting?
Your photographs are stunning, and I especially love the beautiful design you did w the chocolate chips not entirely circling the whole cake. Very creative! Keep up the beautiful efforts!!
Thank you
From sunny California
Hello, thanks for your comment and your compliments. To answer your questions:
1) Did you ever try Xylitol? It’s a great alternative to sugar/coconut sugar. Just use the same amount in grams.
2) Canned coconut milk (even the light version) is higher in fat than e.g. store-bought almond milk which is watered down a lot. That’s why I often use canned coconut milk in my recipes because it makes a cake fluffier, richer and softer. You can, of course, use any plant-milk instead of canned coconut milk, however, the result won’t be as good. One option would be to make your own nut milk (for example almond milk or cashew milk or hemp milk…) because it will be higher in fat and taste better. Another option would be to use any store-bought plant milk and simply add 1-2 tbsp of oil to the recipe. I will add this info also to the recipe notes.
3) The sweet potatoes should be peeled
I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Ela
Ela, thanks for your answer. I guess we have more problems with yuca and yams 🙂 What about pumpkin and some starch? What do you think about it? Thanks!
Cooked pumpkin would be a good idea (I would not use any starch in addition). Try it and report back 🙂
Hi Ela! The recipe is wonderful, I wanna bake cake for my birthday. And I have 1 question. What can I use instead of sweet potato? We have some problems with it in Russia. Thank you.
Hello Valentina, that is really difficult to answer because I never tried to substitute the sweet potato. It’s pretty unique in the recipe because it’s starchy, so it makes the frosting thick without adding any fat (like butter) and it also adds some sweetness. You could try regular potatoes, however, I am afraid the result just won’t be as good. Maybe any other root vegetable like yams or yuca would be a better option. Hope this helps 🙂
I am going to make this as my birthday cake in a couple of weeks. This has been my favorite looking cake recipe.
Awww that’s great! I hope you will like my recipe 🙂
What can I substitute the zucchini with it is really hard to find here at the moment.
Hallo, könnte ich die Leinsamen in dem rezept eins zu eins mit chiasamen ersetzen? Und kann ich Honig statt ahornsirup nehmen? Meine gastfamilie hat leider kein ahornsirup da…ich freue mich schon sehr auf das backen! Danke im voraus!
Ja das geht beides! Viel Spaß beim nachbacken 🙂
I made this and it turned out terrific. It was super moist and dense. Everyone loved it! used large coconut flakes and would definitely use smaller ones next time, or chop them up some before throwing them in with all the other ingredients. I chose to use maple syrup in the cake and the agave nectar in the frosting. I used peanut butter as my nut butter and it gave the frosting almost a Reese’s Peanut Butter taste. I think I’ll try cashew or almond butter next time to get a more subtle taste. Great recipe!
Yay, that’s wonderful, Kathy! I am so happy that the recipe turned out terrific. Yummy, I will try out peanut butter next time because a “Reese’s Peanut Butter taste” sounds amazing 😀 Thanks for your great feedback 🙂
Made this for my husband’s birthday gathering and it was a winner!!! The cake was so decadent, moist and rich, no one could tell that it had zucchini or bake sweet in it!
Loved that no oil is required unlike most vegan cakes.
It was also super easy to make and I’m loving the tips and tweeks in peoples comments!
Most definitely be making this again!
Wow, that’s amazing! I am really thrilled about your wonderful feedback. Thank you so much for letting me know that the zucchini cake turned out great. 🙂
Dieser Kuchen ist einfach der Wahnsinn! So ein Meisterwerk! Du bist echt eine tolle Bäckerin Ela 🙂
Und du bist ein riesen Schatz! Dankeschön für deine lieben Worte 🙂
This looks like cake perfection! I can’t wait to try making it, especially that frosting. One question, do you squeeze out the zucchini do get rid of the extra moisture?
Thanks!
Hello Audra, thanks for your compliment. Actually, I did not squeeze out the zucchini, I simply grated it and added it to the batter. The first time I did blend the zucchini with the other wet ingredients but this resulted in a cake which was too moist. Adding the grated zucchini to the batter (without blending it) turned out pretty great. Hope this helps 🙂
Oh my!! I used a different frosting because of timing, but this cake!!! My husbands comment was “this might be my new favorite”. It’s perfectly moist and the top and edges got a little crunchy almost like a brownie. I love that it’s got healthy ingredients… I will definitely be making this again!
Yay, I am so thrilled to read that! Thanks so much for your awesome feedback, Audra 🙂
Thank you Ela for this delicious cake. My friends and me loved it! Will definitely make it again 🙂
So happy to hear that, Marie 🙂 Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Excellent job Ela ????♀️ now this cake will be on our list of favourite baked cakes ☺ I just put cashew butter instead of seed butter and it was fantastic frosting. Thanks!
That’s amazing, Maria! Cashew butter sounds delicious as well 🙂
Hey Ela,
Vielen lieben Dank für dieses großartige Rezept! Der chocolate zucchini cake kam super an und schmeckt einfach fantastisch! Zudem endlich mal ein schokoladenkuchen der einen nicht erschlägt! Tausend dank dafür und ich freue mich auf weitere Rezepte! Werde berichten wenn ich was anderes von dir ausprobiert habe!
Das freut mich sehr!! Vielen Dank für dein wundervolles Feedback 🙂
I made it!!! It’s simply delicious Thank you
So glad you enjoyed my recipe, Paula 🙂
Liebe Ela!
Das Rezept ist fantastisch!
Habs gleich ausprobiert und die Torte schmeckt lecker!
Das ist ein tolles Rezept! Habs gleich ausprobiert und schmeckt fantastisch!
Das Rezept ist fantastisch!!
So schön saftig und nicht zu süß,….
genau richtig für meine Familie!
Das freut mich sehr, vielen Dank für deinen lieben Kommentar 🙂
Yet another amazing creation, look how ‘chocolate cake’ this looks, you’d never guess it was so healthy! And I simply have to try that sweet potato frosting! Beautiful styling on all of these pictures and I love that you have included little shots in the recipe too. Can’t wait to try this one x
Thank you so much, Bo! I am blushing reading all your compliments. Lots of love 🙂
Wow Ela! This cake sounds exceptional 😀 Love everything about it! It’s healthy, gluten-free, vegan and has hidden sweet potato and zucchini! Can’t really ask for much more in a chocolate cake 😀
Thank you very much, Nadia! Yes, I love to add veggies to baked goods, it makes them healthier and moister. 😀
Thanks Ela this looks so amazing I’m going to give it a try. My 11-yr old has been on this SFED diet for 4 months now and he misses so many of his favorite foods. Getting a dessert close to what he’s used hasn’t been easy and this one looks like it could do the trick on the chocolate front. I know you strongly recommend rice flour but how about oat or almond flour? Thank you!
A reader recently sent me a message and said she made the cake with oat flour and it worked. I think you will need to use more plant-based milk if you use oat flour because it absorbs more liquid than rice flour. Not sure about almond flour. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
This cake is amazing.
We have now made it multiple times with the same fantastic result every time.
I’m just wondering if you have tried to freeze the frosted cake so that we can always have a spare on hand?
That’s good to hear Nicole, thanks for your feedback!
Yes, it freezes well. I tried it many times. 🙂
Ela! I love your smart attitude about oil, you are so right — eat an avocado, not just the oil, eat a coconut, not the oil — and this cake! Oh my, it looks absolutely like a party all by itself! Thanks for sharing beautiful ! Dee xx
Aww, you are so sweet, Dee! Thanks for your lovely compliments, I really appreciate them. I wish I could share this cake with you 🙂
Hei Ela 🙂
Today was the first time i tried out a vegan cake based on zuccini, and honestly it turned out so well!
Also the frosting tastes amazing, thanks so much for the recipe????
Thank you so much for your great feedback, Géraldine. 🙂 Really happy to hear that the zucchini cake turned out great 🙂
OMG THIS CAKE! That frosting looks sooo decadent and insanely good. Can’t believe it’s so healthy and made with sweet potatoes. The texture is out of this world. Amazing recipe, Ela!
Thank you, Nisha! Yes, sweet potatoes are amazing in desserts, they make everything so creamy. Glad you like it 🙂
Danke für das Rezept!! Sieht super lecker aus. Gibst das auch auf deutsch?
Lg aus Spanien
Hallo nach Spanien 🙂 Ich habe derzeit nicht sehr viel Zeit und komme deswegen nicht gut hinterher mit der Übersetzung der deutschen Blogposts, aber ich arbeite dran!
OMG, Ela! This cake looks divine! Can’t wait to make it!
Thank you Natalia! I hope you will love it as much as I do 🙂
Oh, yes, Ela! we loved it! Thank you for this beautiful healthy recipe!
That’s wonderful, makes me super happy, Natalia! 🙂
Hi Ela, been following you on IG for a while but this is the first time I have visited your blog. Great effort! Thank you for creating it.
Question about rice flour: can I make brown rice flour by blending brown rice in vitamix? Thank you!
Thanks a lot for your positive feedback! And yes, that’s possible. I already answered your question in the blog post. 🙂
Thanks Ela! Sorry I didn’t read the whole post properly, went straight for the recipe because I have been waiting for you to post it! Thank you! I couldn’t find any brown rice in the house anyway two I used coconut flower, just used less las per your advice in earlier comments. Currently the cake is in the oven so fingers crossed I haven’t messed it up with the replacement flour! X
No. Coconut flour doesn’t work too well. The cake was all right but I totally agree that flour is way too absorbent so the batter was actually too dense.
Thanks for getting back to me. Yes I know coconut flour is really tricky when it comes to baking, that’s why I don’t use it very often. It just absorbs so much liquid. Brown rice flour has been amazing in my recent baking, so I totally recommend it. You can make your own rice flour if you have a good high-speed blender. 🙂
Ela I am amazed and stunned and massively craving a big chocolate slice right now–WOW! Zucchini can be so tricky to bake with but the texture looks incredible here and the ingredients are so simple and wholesome too. Next b-day in my family this needs to happen, because chocolate on chocolate will forever be a cake favorite at my house. Devils food–pssssh! Absolutely amazing, all the testing and trials were 100% worth it <3
Awww, you are adorable, Natalie! Thank you for your super sweet comment, I really appreciate your support. How I wish I could teleport myself to FL now and share this cake with you. Lots of love 🙂
What a wonderful creation Ela! It looks so creamy, it’s hard to believe it’s made with zucchini and sweet potatoes! Pictures look perfect, it all made my mouth water!
Thank you, my dear Anna. The veggies balance out the seed butter, haha. 😉 Big hug to you 🙂
Omg this looks amazing! My birthday is on Friday and I can’t have normal cakes due to sensitivity but I think I may have to get someone to make me this 😀 will report back. Does it have to be brown rice flour or could I use almond/coconut flour?
Hey Elz, yay I hope you will like it! I think both flours could work but I haven’t tried it out, so can’t say for sure. Coconut flour is very absorbent so you might need less of it. Is there a reason you don’t want to use rice flour?
Guten Morgen liebe Ela.
Ich würde gerne diese wunderbare Torte nachbacken.
Aber ich finde das Rezept nicht, auf deutsche Sprache?
Liebste Grüße Eleonora Leony
Hallo Eleonora, ich wünschte ich hätte mehr Zeit, dann könnte ich alle Rezepte im Handumdrehen auf Deutsch übersetzen, nur leider dauert es pro Blogpost mehrere Stunden und ich komme derzeit einfach nicht hinterher. Also bitte etwas Geduld. Ganz liebe Grüße zurück 🙂
This looks amazing but so high calorie for only one slice! Wish there was a vegan cake I could enjoy without the guilt lol. Thanks though I may try this out next time I have people around to help me eat it.
Yes like mentioned, that’s because of the frosting. If you don’t add the frosting, it has less fat and calories. 😉 I have a couple of desserts on my blog which have less calories and fat, you might check them out. Btw “regular” cakes with eggs, butter, cream etc. often have double the amount of fat and calories but most people don’t take the time to calculate and publish the nutrition facts. 😉
Can I use coconut flour or regular one instead of rice flour? Thanks!
Hi Mona, I don’t know about coconut flour, as it is very absorbent. It might work but you will probably need less. And I already answered your question regarding regular flour in my blog post 🙂
This looks so amazing Ela! I love chocolate zucchini cake and have been wanting to do a cake or bread as well ever since having such success with my zucchini brownies, but it is tricky using zucchini so you don’t end up with a half gooey, half wet cake, haha! I love how smooth and rich the frosting looks as well. You know how much I love sweet potatoes and sweet potato frosting is such a wonderful choice for body and richness. I love how you decorated the frosting, so pretty!
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Brandi. Oh yes, I hear ya about the gooeyness, haha. My first try with lots of zucchini ended up way too moist but somehow it was still delicious. And yes sweet potatoes are amazing and so versatile, I love them too! Thanks for the decoration compliment, you are a sweetheart 🙂
Looks incredible Ela!! I’ll be giving this a go for sure!! Love Chloe (thesmallseed)????
Thanks for stopping by, Chloe! I hope you will like my cake if you try it out 🙂
I love this looks amazing I will try it soon hopefully I success yam
Awesome! I hope you will like it as well 🙂
I did it it’s yam and the of frosting incredible I love it
That’s awesome, Kamila! I am glad you liked it 🙂
Hi Ela
I have white rice flour on hand, do you think this will work well?
Thanks for your time!
Cass
Hello! I haven’t tried the recipe with white rice flour yet. It should work, but I cannot tell you for sure. You can report back if you try it out. 🙂
Hi Ella love your feed, Im going to make tomorrow this cake, looks wonderfull, can i substitute almond milk for the coconut one?
You can but it will be less fluffy and moist because coconut milk contains more fat than almond milk. I would suggest adding 1-2 tbsp of oil if you want to use almond milk. 🙂