The Ultimate Chocolatey Courgette Loaf Cake is proof that garden gluts and patisserie dreams can happily collide – a bake where the courgette vanishes, leaving only richness and fudgy depth to devour!
Chocolate, Courgette and Cake?!
Chocolate courgette cake was born from two obsessions: my love of seriously chocolatey chocolate cake, and my annual battle with the courgette mountain that appears in my kitchen every summer from Dad’s garden. I’d tried various courgette cakes before, but they always felt like “healthy” compromises – you could taste the vegetables, and the chocolate was more of an afterthought rather than something indulgent.
I was determined to create a cake that was chocolate first, courgette second. A cake so intensely chocolatey that people would never guess there were vegetables hiding inside. The breakthrough came when I realised I needed to treat the courgettes like a secret weapon for moisture, not the star of the show.
The triple chocolate approach – cocoa powder for deep flavour, melted chocolate for richness, and top quality chocolate chips for texture – creates this incredible depth that makes each bite better than the last. The courgettes disappear completely, leaving behind only their gift of incredible moistness and tender crumb.
Why This Chocolate Courgette Cake Works
- Courgette Secret: Grated courgettes add moisture without any vegetable flavour – they’re completely invisible but make the texture incredible.
- Triple Chocolate Hit: Cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and chocolate chips create layers of chocolate flavour and texture.
- Moisture Magic: Oil plus buttermilk plus courgettes creates a cake that stays moist for days.
Hidden Vegetables
Let’s clear something up. This isn’t a “healthy” cake. The courgettes aren’t there to save you calories or give you a halo. They’re there because they make the cake better. More tender. More moist. More chocolatey. It’s about using ingredients for their superpowers. The best cooks know that sometimes the most ordinary ingredients – the ones your garden gives you by the basket-load – can be transformed into something spectacular.
If you like this recipe head on over to my sweet things section where you can find more inspo! You can also watch me make this from scratch on my Tik Tok Channel.
Ingredients
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Dry Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients
Instructions
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Prep & Preheat
- 1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 2. Grease and line 900g (2lb) loaf tin with parchment 3. Grate courgettes coarsely, squeeze out excess moisture with clean tea towel 4. Melt chocolate for cake and let cool slightly Mix Dry Ingredients
- 5. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt into large bowl 6. Stir in sugar and cinnamon 7. Make well in center Combine Wet Ingredients
- 8. Whisk eggs in separate bowl 9. Add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate 10. Whisk until smooth and combined Bring Together
- 11. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients 12. Fold gently until just combined (don't overmix) 13. Fold in grated courgettes and chocolate chips 14. Mixture should be thick but pourable Bake The Loaf
- 15. Pour into prepared tin, level surface 16. Bake 50-55 minutes until skewer inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs 17. Don't overbake - should still be slightly fudgy 18. Cool in tin 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack Finish & Serve
- 19. Once cake completely cool, pour glaze over top 20. Let glaze set for 15 minutes before slicing 21. Cut with sharp knife, wiping between cuts 22. Serve in thick slices
Notes
Hey Lolly's Notes Squeeze courgettes well - excess moisture will make cake soggy Don't overmix batter or cake will be tough Cake improves after a day - flavours develop and texture becomes more fudgy Store covered for up to 5 days
