Name: Chocolate Sour Cream Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: Butter for the pan; 3 cups grated zucchini (about 2 smallish ones); 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting the zucchini; 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 2/3 cups sugar; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature; Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Sour Cream Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Glaze cut into rectangles on a wire rack.

Photo by Johnny Autry

This is one heck of a cake on so many levels. For starters, nobody is ever going to guess there's zucchini in here, because it virtually disappears in the baking—there's not even a hint of vegetable flavor or nubbiness that you might expect from grated zucchini. What you will notice is what a moist cake this is, maybe the moistest chocolate cake you've ever had.

Cook's Note

I like to bake it in my 9x9x2-inch cake pan because it makes for a very tall, generously proportioned cake, but you could also use a 13x9-inch pan if you want the extra servings. (The baking time will be about 45 minutes in the larger pan.) To top it off, I use my favorite simple chocolate glaze. Unless you need a fancy decorated cake, this one is just about perfect for any occasion.