Chocolate Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt) Zucchini Fudge Cake
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: One 13 x 9 cake
 
Adapted from King Arthur Flour.
According to some readers, this cake is amazing with Gluten Free flour too!
Cocoa, chocolate chips and a rich chocolate ganache finish, which seeps into the cracks, make this cake really special!
ingredients:
  • 2½ cups (10½ ounces) All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (2¼ ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably dark cocoa powder *
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional, but it enhances the flavor of the chocolate
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
  • ½ cup (3½ ounces) vegetable oil (or unsweetened apple sauce)
  • 1⅔ cups (12 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream or Greek Yogurt
  • 2½ to 3 cups shredded or grated zucchini (about one 10-inch zucchini or 3 small/medium zucchini - 12 ounces total)
  • 1½ cups chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache Topping
  • ¾ cup (6 oz) heavy cream
  • 1½ cups (9 oz ) chopped chocolate (semisweet or milk) or chocolate chips
directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a 9 x 13 pan with baking spray
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, oil,and sugar until fluffy and light in color.. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until each one is incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract.
  4. Stir the sour cream or yogurt into the batter, alternately with the flour mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture (1/3 flour mixture, half yogurt or sour cream, another third flour mixture, last half of yogurt or sour cream, last third of flour mixture). Fold in the zucchini and the 1½ cups of chocolate chips.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a rack.
  6. To prepare the ganache topping, heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from heat and pour over the chopped or chocolate chips (sometimes I cover the bowl with plastic wrap to keep the heat in so the chocolate melts into the cream faster). Wait 4 to 5 minutes then stir to combine. It may take a few minutes of stirring for the ganache to come together, but it will, and it will thicken as it cools. When warm (but not hot) pour over cake and smooth with an offset spatula. Allow frosting to set for about 30 minutes before serving… or not (I never wait!).
notes:
* I've used dutch process cocoa in this recipe and the cake rose fine, even though it's known to inhibit the baking soda reaction (alkaline issues), so if you cannot find dark cocoa, you can use that, or, as the recipe states, regular, unsweetened cocoa is fine, although the cake will be a lighter chocolate color.
Recipe by parsley sage sweet at https://parsleysagesweet.com/2009/09/12/derek-jeter-passes-lou-gehrig-as-the-all-time-leader-in-yankee-hits-and-chocolate-and-zucchini-isnt-just-a-great-blog/