Instant Pot Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Learn how to make moist and fudgy Instant Pot chocolate zucchini cake with luscious chocolate ganache glaze on top. This is a great cake using up summer zucchini (courgette). You can also top it with vanilla or chocolate cream frosting. We used sugar-free brown sugar sweetener to make this cake a little healthier but you can use regular brown or white sugar.

Why You'll Love This Chocolate Zucchini Cake

• It’s moist, fudgy, chocolatey, and decadent yet it’s not so bad for you! 
• It’s easy to make and doesn’t use complicated ingredients you can’t find.
• Contains antioxidants (hello chocolate) and hidden veggies.
• Great for using up leftover or excess zucchini; perfect summer recipe.
• Covered in chocolate ganache glaze for that luxurious finish! 
• The whole cake and glaze can be made in the Instant Pot so you don't need access to the oven or stove. 

Ingredients For Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This chocolate zucchini cake is a great way to use up in season summer squash or when you have some leftovers in the fridge.  Here is what you need for this cake: 

• Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda (aka bicarb soda) and a pinch of salt. 
• Wet ingredients: as well as shredded zucchini, which gives the cake lots of moisture and a nice texture, you will also need large eggs, unsalted butter (if using salted, omit the added salt), and yogurt or sour cream (buttermilk can also be used). 
• Sugar: we used a sugar-free brown sugar alternative in this recipe which can be used 1:1 in place of regular sugar; we simply wanted to lower the sugar content without compromising the flavor and it worked beautifully. You can use regular brown or white sugar if you like. 
• Chocolate: semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (baking chocolate buttons), depending on your taste; some people prefer richer, darker chocolate flavor. 
• Springform cake pan: we used a 7" springform cake pan, make sure to measure that it fits inside the Instant Pot, a 6-6.5" pan can also be used but the cake will be taller. 

We hope you give this Instant Pot chocolate cake a try. Let us know in the comments if you make it and leave a rating as it helps others to discover our recipes. Step-by-step photos of how to make this cake are below the recipe card.

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Instant Pot Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Learn how to make moist and fudgy Instant Pot chocolate zucchini cake with a silky, smooth chocolate glaze on top. This is a great cake using up summer zucchini. You can also top it with vanilla or chocolate cream frosting. We used sugar-free brown sugar sweetener to make this cake a little healthier, but you can use regular brown or white sugar.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 376kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups zucchini 2 small zucchini, 0.5 lb /250 g, shredded
• ½ cup semi-sweet baking chocolate chips, bar or buttons, chopped
• ⅔ cup unsalted butter 120 g / 4 oz., meted
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
• 1 cup brown sugar 120-125 g / 4 oz, we used sugar-free brown sugar alternative

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 200 grams / 7 oz.
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 50 g / 2 oz.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda bicarb soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the chocolate glaze

• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped (or chips)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Prepare ingredients

• Shred the zucchini using a box grater, medium-sized cut (see photo below). Squeeze the zucchini in your hands over a sink to squeeze out some of the juice. Don't squeeze too much out as we want some of the liquid to moisten for the cake. 
• In a microwave or on the stove, melt the butter and let it cool down slightly. 
• Chop the chocolate unless using small chocolate chips.

Mix the batter

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and thick. 
• In a separate smaller bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and a good pinch of salt. 
• Add the dry ingredient mix to the wet ingredients, top with shredded zucchini and chopped chocolate. Mix through until well incorporated. The mixture will seem very thick when you start mixing but will quickly moisten and soften to a very thick batter.

Prepare the cake pan

• Grease the sides of a 7-7.5" springform cake pan with butter. Cut out a circle-shaped piece of parchment paper, place it on the bottom and brush with butter as well. You can use your fingers to grease both.  

Add cake mixture to the pan

• Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan. Use a spoon or a spatula to spread the batter evenly into the sides and smooth the top. The mixture will sink in and spread further while baking. Cover the cake pan with a sheet of foil to prevent the condensation droplets inside the pressure cooker from falling on top of the cake. 

Set to cook the cake in the Instant Pot

• Add a cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the trivet with the handles folded on the bottom. Gently lower the cake pan inside the pot. You can make a long foil sling under the cake pan, which will make it easier to lift it out once cooked.
• Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook (Manual on older models) on HIGH pressure for 45 minutes. The pressure will take about 5-7 minutes to build up and the timer will kick-off. Once down, allow the pressure to release naturally, which will take about 12-14 minutes. 
• Open the lid. Use a towel, tongs or the pre-made foil sling to lift the cake pan out of the pot. Transfer it to a plate and lift the foil cover. Allow to cool in the pan, then release the springform sides. Gently flip the cake over onto a plate or a cutting board and slide off the bottom part of the pan. Place the cake, top side up, on a serving plate or cake stand. 

Make the chocolate glaze

• To make the glaze/ganache, you can use the Instant Pot, stove or microwave (see notes below). To use the Instant Pot, press the Saute function and add a cup of boiling/hot water to the pot. Place the trivet on top and make sure the water doesn't go above the level of the trivet. Place a heat-proof bowl inside the pot on the trivet. Add the chocolate chips and butter and allow to melt over steam/heat coming from the bottom.

  IMPORTANT: make sure to stir frequently and as soon as MOST of the chocolate and butter are melted, remove from heat and stir through for the remaining bits to melt through. If you leave it on the heat for too long, the glaze will start to cook and thicken and turn grainy. 
• Glaze the cake while the chocolate mix is still runny, spread it evenly over the cake with a spatula.

Notes

How to make chocolate glaze on a stovetop: Stovetop: Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, keep the bowl just a little higher than the water level. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Leave to one side to cool a little.

How to make chocolate glaze/ganache in a microwave: 

Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Set the cooking time to 2 minutes on high and start the microwave. Stop the microwave every 15-20 seconds and stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula. This will help to evenly distribute the heat. As soon as the chocolate is almost completely melted with only a few solids left, remove it from the microwave. Add the butter and stir it into the hot chocolate to melt to create a smooth glaze. Use immediately.

Storing the cake: The cake is best stored in a Tupperware container or a cake box in the refrigerator. It should keep for 3-4 days.

Nutrition information accounts for using fully sweet brown sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg

CourseCake

CuisineAmerican

KeywordCake, Chocolate, Chocolate Cake, Desserts, Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker, Zucchini

Made this recipe?Mention @instantpoteats or tag #instantpoteats!

How To Make Chocolate Zucchini Cake In Instant Pot

Here are step-by-step instructions for making the chocolate zucchini cake in the Instant Pot. We made it in the Instant Pot Duo Classic & Nova 6-quart pressure cooker.

• Step 1. Shred the zucchini using a box grater, medium-sized cut (see photo). Squeeze the zucchini in your hands over a sink to squeeze out some of the juice. Don't squeeze too much out as we want some of the liquid to moisten for the cake.
• Step 2. In a microwave or on the stove, melt the butter and let it cool down slightly (not pictured).
• Step 3. Chop the chocolate unless using small chocolate chips.
• Step 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and brown sugar until smooth and thick.
• Step 5. In a separate smaller bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and a good pinch of salt.

• Step 6. Add the dry ingredient mix to the wet ingredients, top with shredded zucchini and chopped chocolate. Mix through until well incorporated. The mixture will seem very thick when you start mixing but will quickly moisten and soften to a very thick batter.
• Step 7. Grease the sides of a springform cake pan with butter. Cut out a circle-shaped piece of parchment paper, place it on the bottom, and brush with butter as well. You can use your fingers to grease both.  
• Step 8. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan. Use a spoon or a spatula to spread the batter evenly into the sides and smooth the top. The mixture will sink in and spread further while baking.

• Step 9. Cover the cake pan with a sheet of foil to prevent the condensation droplets inside the pressure cooker from falling on top of the cake. 
• Step 10. Add a cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the trivet with the handles folded on the bottom. Gently lower the cake pan inside the pot. You can make a long foil sling under the cake pan, which will make it easier to lift it out once cooked.
• Step 11. Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook (Manual on older models) on HIGH pressure for 45 minutes. The pressure will take about 5-7 minutes to build up and the timer will kick-off. Once down, allow the pressure to release naturally, which will take about 12-14 minutes. 

• Step 12. Open the lid. Use a towel, tongs, or the pre-made foil sling to lift the cake pan out of the pot. Transfer it to a plate and lift the foil cover. Allow to cool in the pan, then release the springform sides. Gently flip the cake over onto a plate or a cutting board and slide off the bottom part of the pan. Place the cake, top side up, on a serving plate or cake stand. 

How To Make Chocolate Ganache Glaze In The Instant Pot

To make the glaze/ganache, you can use the Instant Pot, stove or microwave. To use the Instant Pot, press the Saute function and add a cup of boiling/hot water to the pot. Place the trivet on top and make sure the water doesn't go above the level of the trivet. Place a heat-proof bowl inside the pot on the trivet. Add the chocolate chips and butter and allow to melt over steam/heat coming from the bottom. 

IMPORTANT: make sure to stir frequently and as soon as MOST of the chocolate and butter are melted, remove from heat and stir through for the remaining bits to melt through. If you leave it on the heat for too long, the glaze will start to cook and thicken and turn grainy.  

Use the chocolate ganache/glaze immediately before it hardens. Spread over the cake and serve! 

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