Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Cake (Keto)

This is my husband's favorite cake. He does not follow a keto diet like I do, but he loves this cake and requests it every holiday. It's also one of my favorites... I just can't get enough of the moist chocolatey-ness in this keto Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Cake.

Zucchini is abundant in the winter, so I'm always looking for different ways to use them. Admittedly, my favorite way to use zucchini is in dessert. Yes, DESSERT! It has such a mild flavor that it tends to just blend in with whatever flavors you add to it. So why not!? Don't get me wrong, I love a savory zucchini hash or grilled zucchini... but why eat it savory when you can have chocolate cake instead? Just sayin'. One of my other favorite zucchini desserts is "apple" zucchini cobbler. Mmmm.

Nutrition

A cake made with healthy ingredients. For real! I have honestly eaten a giant slice of this keto Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Cake for lunch, and I didn't feel guilty about it one bit. Why? Well, look at the ingredients in the photo below. If you'd be comfortable eating these ingredients separately, then why not combine them into a delicious, guilt-free cake? That's a win in my book!

The Best Way To Hide Veggies

I love that this cake has so much zucchini. You don't taste it at all, and if it were not for the occasional spec of green in the cake, you'd never even know. Nut flours are great, but they can be heavy. A zucchini cake cuts back on the amount of almonds and coconuts I'm eating (which I tend to eat a lot of). By including so much zucchini in the batter, I feel great about digging into a slice of chocolate cake (!!) because I know is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Top it with some fresh berries to boost it even further.

Discover more healthy dessert recipes.

Tips & Tricks

• The hazelnut extract is optional, but I love the extra flavor that it gives. It pairs perfectly with the chocolate and coffee.
• You do NOT have to squeeze out all the zucchini water. Yes, you should let it drip so that the cake isn't completely soggy, but you should not have to squeeze the zucchini further. Call me lazy, but I just couldn't be bothered to do that, so I added extra flour and egg to this recipe to compensate for the fact that you won't get 100% of the water out.
• The frosting is optional, but it does add a nice touch. I also recommend serving with strawberries on the side. You could also add any other type of frosting or topping that you want. Here are some suggestions: sliced almonds, crushed hazelnuts, whipped cream, cream cheese or fresh berries. Topping it with some keto-friendly ice cream wouldn't be a bad idea either!
• Use good chocolate! Please, please, please use Dutch-process cocoa powder. I use this one. I've made this cake with high-quality Dutch cocoa powder, with regular whatever-is-cheapest cocoa powder, and everything in between (I make this cake a lot). Trust me, using Dutch-process cocoa makes a huge difference in terms of the rich, chocolate flavor of the cake.
• One medium zucchini will make approximately one cup of shredded zucchini. So you'll need two zucchinis for this recipe.

📖 Recipe

Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Cake

Who knew zucchini cake could taste so good? Moist, chocolatey, and with hidden veggies (shhh!), this is the perfect no-guilt dessert!

5 from 1 vote

Pin Print Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

 

USAMetric

1x2x3x

• 2 cups shredded zucchini (approximately 2 medium zucchinis)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almond flour
• ¾ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup erythritol
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ cup melted butter (½ stick)
• 3 tablespoon espresso (or very strong/concentrated coffee)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon hazelnut extract (optional)
• 4 eggs

Glaze (optional)

• 1 tablespoon powdered erythritol
• 2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350° and grease an 8-inch (20 cm) circular cake pan.
• Shred the zucchini, then place the shreds into a colander. Sprinkle with the salt and stir. Let the zucchini sit for at least 15-20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the batter, stirring it in the colander once or twice and squishing out some water with the back of your spoon. Water will drip out of the zucchini, so make sure the colander is sitting in the sink or over another bowl. The zucchini will not be completely dry, but you should try to get rid of as much water as possible.
  
• In a medium bowl, add all dry ingredients and stir to combine: almond flour, coconut flour, erythritol, baking powder and cocoa powder.
• In a separate small bowl, microwave the butter in 10 second increments until it is just barely melted. Whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients: espresso/coffee, hazelnut extract, vanilla extract and eggs.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Finally, stir in the shredded zucchini (discard the water that dripped out).
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If it's too wet, you may need to cook it longer. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then run a sharp knife around the edges and flip it out onto a plate. I usually serve this cake upside-down with the glaze on top to help cover any holes 🙂
• While the cake is baking, make the glaze (if using). Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a small spoon, being sure to squish out all of the clumps of powdered sugar. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then stir again (the xanthan gum takes a few minutes to thicken). Let it rest again, then stir again. It will take about 10 minutes to thicken up completely.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Coffee Zucchini Cake

Amount per Serving

Calories

152.5

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

11.4

g

18

%

Saturated Fat

 

4.5

g

28

%

Cholesterol

 

64.7

mg

22

%

Sodium

 

252.4

mg

11

%

Potassium

 

159.6

mg

5

%

Carbohydrates

 

9.2

g

3

%

Fiber

 

4.8

g

20

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Net Carbs

 

4.4

g

Protein

 

5.9

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

276.2

IU

6

%

Vitamin C

 

7.1

mg

9

%

Calcium

 

83.4

mg

8

%

Iron

 

1.4

mg

8

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information is estimated. Amounts may vary depending on the specific brand and/or type of ingredients you use. Sugar alcohols and other sweeteners that typically do not effect blood glucose levels, including but not limited to erythritol and allulose, are excluded from the carb count.