CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CRUMB CAKE — This moist zucchini cake is filled with miniature chocolate chips and finished off with a spiced brown sugar crumb topping and drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze.
Our neighbors recently dropped off some zucchini from their garden, so I decided it was time to bake up this beautiful Chocolate Chip Zucchini Crumb Cake.
I love this recipe because it’s a little “fancier” than other zucchini bread and cake recipes I have. And I’m all about any kind of baked goods with a crumb topping!
The topping is definitely what sets this cake apart from other zucchini cakes I’ve tried. Plus, the powdered sugar drizzle adds a hint of sweetness and makes for a great presentation.
There’s also just a bit of crushed pineapple in the batter too, which adds an extra hint of sweetness, along with the mini chocolate chips.
As long as I don’t tell anyone in my family there’s zucchini in this cake, it disappears in about a day. I’ve even caught my boys eating it for breakfast.
It is a lot like a coffee cake, so it’s actually kind of perfect for breakfast, or as an after-school snack. And of course it’s great for dessert too.
I love the way this cake looks when I bake it in a round cake pan, but a square pan will work just as well. You could even use a springform pan if you have one.
Some people prefer to peel their zucchini before adding it to the batter, but honestly, I don’t bother. It doesn’t really change the taste or texture of the cake–as long as you don’t mind the flecks of green.
I also like to sprinkle a handful of extra chocolate chips on top before I add the glaze. Because extra chocolate is always a good idea, right?
This simple but beautiful Chocolate Chip Zucchini Crumb Cake is a breeze to make, and we could all use another recipe to use up the season’s abundance of zucchini.
Be sure to save this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Crumb Cake recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Tips for Choosing and Storing Zucchini
Appearance: Look for skin should be dark green, smooth and free of blemishes. In addition, the skin should be slightly prickly and shiny. A moist stem end is also a good indicator of freshness.
Size: Look for zucchini that’s not too big (about 6 to 8-inches long) and still relatively thin. The zucchini should feel heavy for its size.
Storing: Don’t wash or cut zucchini until you’re ready to use it. Keep it in a perforated or loosely closed plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to one week.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Chocolate Chip Zucchini Crumb Cake
- Butter
- Pecans
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt
- White sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Zucchini
- Canned crushed pineapple
- Vanilla
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the topping
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
For the cake
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1/3 cup drained crushed pineapple
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
For the glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter (about one minute). Add the remaining topping ingredients and mix with a fork; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in the zucchini, pineapple and vanilla and mix well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and flour. Stir into the zucchini mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully sprinkle with the crumb topping. Return to oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes, then invert (crumb side down) onto a clean plate. Invert again onto a cooling rack to cool for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cake before serving.
Video
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Nutrition
Never miss a Let’s Dish Recipe:
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter
If you love this recipe, you might also like:
More Delicious Cake Recipes
Zucchini Banana Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This moist and delicious snack cake is loaded with bananas and zucchini, and topped off with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Lemonade Bundt Cake
This cake is bursting with lemon flavor. It's also dense and moist--one of those go-to recipes that's easy to make but good enough for company.
Copycat Sara Lee Pound Cake
Dense and moist, with the perfect amount of sweetness and vanilla, this pound cake tastes just like the Sara Lee version you'll find in your grocer's freezer.
Banana Bread Bundt Cake
Over-ripe bananas add a hint of sweetness and a burst of banana flavor to this delicious bundt cake, finished off with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting.
Simple Strawberry Cake
A simple homemade cake batter is loaded with fresh cut strawberries and baked in a skillet. Best served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Banana Bread Snack Cake
Traditional banana bread is baked in a square pan and sprinkled with sugar to create a crunchy topping on this baked banana treat.
Blueberry Crumb Cake
This fresh blueberry studded cake with a crumb topping has just the right amount of sweetness. It's great for dessert, breakfast, or brunch!
Triple Berry Cream Cheese Dump Cake
A yellow cake mixed is transformed into a unique and delicious dessert with the addition of three kinds of berries and cubes of cream cheese. This cake is so easy and sure to be a hit with everyone!
Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from The Cafe Sucre Farine
