A healthy chocolate zucchini bread recipe that is anything BUT healthy looking or tasting! This chocolate cake with its luscious chocolate honey glaze is so rich, moist, tender, and finger-licking delicious and decadent that no one will ever guess it’s 100% whole grain, made with honey and coconut oil, and packs in 2 cups of shredded zucchini!
As you hand your child something healthy to eat, they ask “What is thiiiiiis??” “Honey, it’s good, it’s really, really yummy,” you say as reassuringly as you can. Your child takes a long, scrutinizing look at it, makes a face and holds it out to you with an emphatic, “I don’t want it!” Does this conversation sound at all familiar?
None of us want to lie to our children (“No, that’s not zucchini, it’s…it’s…”). So we try to cleverly camouflage healthy foods by slipping them into smoothies, grinding them up in meats, stuffing them between the fork tines (well, maybe not the last one), hoping they won’t notice it in the first place. Sweet deception.
And I have got the perfect sweet deception for you! Let me ask you, if you showed this cake to your kids, would they turn it down? No way, they’d probably be anxious to dive in. Now come closer so I can whisper in your ear…..this cake is the ULTIMATE DECEPTION. That’s right, it’s 100% whole wheat, made with honey and buttermilk, and has 2 whole cups of zucchini in it?  I created this on a whim several years ago after my kids were in bed, envisioning a healthily deceptive treat I could offer them the next day. The end result was luscious and decadent so I decided to call it Chocolate Deception Cake.
So whether you’re trying to feed your kids healthier treats or eat healthier yourself, this cake is for you. A rich, moist, finger-licking dark chocolate decadent cake oozing with a drippy chocolate honey glaze!
Chocolate Deception Cake RecipeÂ
Let’s get started on this yummy-licious, decadent, and healthy chocolate zucchini bread!
Using your hands, squeeze as much liquid out of the squash as you can. This will leave you with about 1 cup of densely packed squash. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, add the sugar, eggs and honey, and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the oil, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder and beat until combined. Add the buttermilk and beat for another 30 seconds.
Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the squash until the strands are separated and combined with the batter. Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter and gently fold it in, just until combined. Be careful not to stir too much.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Â I used Fat Daddio’s pan for this – great pans!
Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and setting it on the wire rack to cool completely.
To make the chocolate honey glaze: Bring the honey and water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate and let it sit until melted. Stir the mixture until combined. Add the sugar and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Once the loaf is fully cooled, poke some small holes across the top to allow the glaze to seep in, and pour the glaze over the entire top of the loaf, allowing it to run down the sides. Let the loaf stand for at least 20 minutes before serving. Note: The glaze will remain soft. Store in a cake saver.
Enjoy!
For more delicious and healthier baked goodies be sure to try our:
- Mega Healthy Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
- Banana Oatmeal Blender Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Pecan Streusel Muffins
- Whole Grain Zucchini Muffins
- Chocolate Almond Quinoa Cake
- Whole Grain Molasses Cookies
- Whole Grain Almond Fruit Bars
Chocolate Deception Cake
Ingredients
- For the Loaf:
- 2 cups grated zucchini or yellow squash , leave the peel on and use the small holes of the grater. Thoroughly squeeze the liquid out with your hands, you will be left with about 1 tightly packed cup. (Note: I used yellow squash in the loaf featured in the pictures. Your kids won't be able to detect a single trace of it!)
- 2 cups whole wheat or spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- or brown sugar alternative
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- For the Chocolate Honey Glaze:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate , chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
- or confectioner's sugar alternative
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
- Using your hands, squeeze as much liquid out of the squash as you can. This will leave you with about 1 cup of densely packed zucchini. Set aside.In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar, eggs, and honey and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the oil, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder and beat until combined. Add the buttermilk and beat for another 30 seconds.Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the squash until the strands are separated and combined with the batter. Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter and gently fold it in, just until combined. Be careful not to stir too much. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and setting it on the wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate honey glaze: Bring the honey and water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate and let it sit until melted. Stir the mixture until combined. Add the sugar and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Once the loaf is fully cooled, poke some small holes across the top to allow the glaze to seep in, and pour the glaze over the entire top of the loaf, allowing it to run down the sides. Let the loaf stand for at least 20 minutes before serving. Note: The glaze will remain soft. Store in a cake saver where it will keep for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 18, 2013
Karine says
Just made this cake yesterday with spelt flour and no “icing”. A real hit with children and adults, for the british palate (with continental influence since I am french), it was just perfect!
I am working my way through your AMAZING recipes and every single one has been a total hit with everybody!
Thank you so much!
Kimberly Killebrew says
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy it was a hit, Karine, and I appreciate your kind words, thank you! <3
Lupe says
I don’t bake much anymore, but I want to try this recipe. Do you know if brown monk’s fruit sweetener would work as well as brown sugar? Would it taste the same? Thanks very much for the recipe and for the advice.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Lupe, I haven’t tried brown monk fruit sweetener it but it’s supposed to be a 1:1 brown sugar substitute so it should work!
bigchefok says
great recipe….
truly a wonderful crumb….
do use a good cocoa powder, it is essential.
thanks
BigchefOK
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! :)
Anonymous says
What is a good substitute for eggs? I can no longer eat foods that lived, or would live 😕
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi, flax eggs are a popular substitute. Combine one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water, then let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Charlotte Moore says
YUM!!
Erika Henry says
what is the nutritional information?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, Erika! If you’re looking for a calorie/carb/fat/protein breakdown, there are several free online sites you can use to enter in each ingredient to get the total.
Stephanie says
Hi Kimberly,
I made this cake last night – so yummy! It’s very dense and chocolatey, and not overly sweet. It also gave me a chance to experiment with some ingredients that I have not used before (whole wheat flour, coconut oil). Thanks for posting, I will be making it again! Next I want to try the “barfi” fudge. Will keep you posted!
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Stephanie, that’s wonderful! So happy to hear you made and enjoyed it! Spelt flour is another fun one – it’s an ancient form of wheat and has a lighter texture than whole wheat flour. YES, BARFI! I love barfi! Let me know if you try it and what you think!
Shelley Sharp says
Have you tried the recipe with any other flours? Gluten-free?
The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shelley! It works equally well with spelt flour, one of my favorites, but no, I haven’t tried gluten-free. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
lisa says
This looks delicious. I love to cook but rarely bake – mostly because I can’t believe how much butter and sugar goes into most cakes. Thus, my kids have been deprived of home-baked goodies in the house. But I’m thinking I might surprise them and make Chocolate Deception Cake. It looks amazing and I love the ingredients. My kids are teenagers. I wonder if they’ll ask why it’s called chocolate deception cake or if they’ll just ignore the name and dig right in?
The Daring Gourmet says
Thank for the compliment, Lisa, and for stopping by. Well, since your kids are old enough to know what the word “deception” means, you may just need to “up” the deception by not telling them what it’s called! ;)
This cake is definitely not quite as sweet as what we’re accustomed to here in the U.S.. The chocolate-honey glaze adds a delicious touch of sweetness though. It’s funny, a friend of mine back in Germany recently made this and shared it with her family. They couldn’t eat it because they said it was much too sweet. It’s interesting how perception levels of sweetness vary across cultures. Here in the U.S. this cake would be lower than average on the sweetness scale.
If you make it, let me know how it goes over!
Jayne says
Great recipe! I love using zucchini and whole wheat flour in cakes!
The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Jayne! So do I. Whole wheat baked good often struggle with the problem of dryness, unless they’re drenched in something syrupy. The 2 cups of zucchini, while being virtually undetectable visually and in taste, combined with the whole cup of buttermilk, really transform the whole wheat into a beautifully moist and decadent creation. Thanks for stopping by!
bakeaffairs says
Looks perfect!! and I want some right now too… :-)
The Daring Gourmet says
Coming from a professional baker, that’s a nice compliment! Everybody, check out bakeaffairs (see above) for some luscious European-style baking.
bakeaffairs says
Dear Kimberly, thank you so much for your kind comment & wonderful compliments. I really appreciate that coming from you!
candy says
Ohh I so want this right now!!!!….looks delicious…:)