Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread
This one-bowl triple chocolate zucchini bread is built on black cocoa, a heavily alkalized (or Dutched) cocoa powder that bakes almost black and tastes closer to an Oreo than to a standard chocolate loaf. It's cut with natural cocoa, which keeps the flavor from tipping into bitter and gives the baking soda something acidic to react with for a beautiful domed loaf. The grated zucchini goes in without being squeezed, which is what keeps the crumb tender into the second day.
- Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield8-10 slices 1x
Ingredients
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (25 grams) natural cocoa powder
1/4 cup (25 grams) black cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil or other neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups (300 grams) packed grated zucchini
1-3/4 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips, plus more for topping (optional)
2 tablespoons (25 grams) coarse sanding sugar or turbinado sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Spray or butter a 1-½ pound loaf pan (about a 9 or 10x5-inch pan) and line it with a piece of parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, natural cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, baking powder, kosher salt, and baking soda. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
To the bowl, add the zucchini and stir to combine. Add the flour and stir until almost all of it has been incorporated. Add the chocolate chips, then stir in the remaining flour.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Scatter about ¼ cup chocolate chips over the batter (optional), then generously sprinkle with the coarse sanding sugar.
Bake until the center of the bread registers 200°F, 60-65 minutes. Without a thermometer, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs and no wet batter (melted chocolate from the chips is expected).
Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then use the parchment to lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Weighing your flour with a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure. If you aren't going to weigh it, make sure to spoon it into the measuring cup, then level it off. If you scoop the flour out with the measuring cup and then level, it could change the outcome of the final product.
The recipe calls for two types of cocoa powder, black cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder.
Black cocoa can be harder to find in stores, but it can be easily purchased online at King Arthur Flour or you can find it on Amazon. The recipe is best with it, but if you are really insistent on not using it, it can be swapped with dutch cocoa powder, but you’ll still need the natural cocoa powder too, as the baking powder and baking soda is specifically formulated for both types of cocoa.
Do not squeeze or wring out the grated zucchini. A cup measurement for grated zucchini varies quite a bit. If you have a scale, weigh it to get 300 grams. If you don't, add the grated zucchini to the measuring cup and lightly pack it down, then add more until the cup is full.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread is good on the first day and even better the next. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-4 days.
Find it online: https://everydayfamilyeats.com/chocolate-zucchini-bread/