Chocolate Courgette Loaf Cake!

A deliciously simple and refined sugar free chocolate courgette loaf cake with chocolate chips and a chocolate drizzle

This cake is gloriously chocolatey, so light in texture, and also refined sugar free… what more could you want for a cake like this?!

Courgette in a cake?!

Before you lose your minds, think about carrot cake. I know, you can kinda see the green in the courgette in the photos, but you can often see carrot in the photos of carrot cake as well, so it’s not necessarily as weird as it may sound. This cake, to some, may be a bit of a trust your process sort of cake – because you really should, as it’s delicious. 

The idea of using vegetables in a cake can be a bit mind numbing, but I am honest when I am saying that carrot cake is my favourite flavour of cake – and it’s hard one to beat. However, after always asking for recipe requests from you guys, I had requests for a courgette cake, and also cakes with less sugar… so this was born. 

Chocolate cake recipes

Chocolate cake is always a super popular cake, and it’s always going to be. I have so many variations of chocolate cakes on my blog and in my books now, that I just wanted to have fun with a new style of sponge instead. 

If you want a more ‘matilda’ style cake, my chocolate fudge cake is definitely the one. If you want a basic chocolate sponge cake that’s easy to decorate, my back to basics chocolate cake is the one. This cake is more unique, and more of a fun little twist of a sponge that I simply adore. 

Loaf cakes

Now, there are so many ways you can go with a cake when you write a new recipe, but I really do have an adoration for loaf cakes if I am honest. They are so easy to bake, and usually easier to decorate, and I just love cutting off a chunk of cake and cracking on. 

I have so many loaf cake recipes across the board now such as my carrot loaf cake, and even my coffee and walnut loaf cake, and they are always so popular. Because of this, I wanted to make this cake a loaf cake style as well for ease. It would adapt in to other sizes and shapes I am sure, but I am yet to test the timings for this. 

I always use the same loaf tin when I am testing recipes because, annoyingly, loaf tins really a vary in size no matter what they say on the label. I use this 2lb loaf tin, but the general rule is a tin should be filled max 2/3 of the way up the sides, so it doesn’t overflow. This may mean you have spare mix (which could be made into cupcakes – bake for 20 minutes), so there will be no wastage. 

Cake mix

So when it comes to this cake mix, the ingredients are a little different. Like I have said, I wanted to combine the idea of the courgette cake with the refined sugar free. 

• Oil – you can use sunflower or vegetable oil – I avoid olive oil as it has a taste to it 
• Yoghurt – I tend to use a natural yoghurt, but greek yoghurt or a buttermilk can work instead 
• Honey – to make it refined sugar free, the sugar has been replaced with honey. If you want to use sugar instead, you can use 100g light brown sugar 
• Eggs – I use three medium eggs, but two large is probably fine
• Courgette – I grated my courgette on a regular grate, but you can do smaller. I don’t squeeze out any extra liquid from it personally
• Flour – plain flour for this one, as you add in different raising agents 
• Cocoa – a strong cocoa powder is always best in my opinion for a delicious flavour 
• Raising agents – a little bicarb and some baking powder for the best texture 
• Salt – this is optional, but I think it contrasts really well with the courgette and chocolate for the flavour 
• Chocolate – optional, but chocolate chips folded through make this cake elite. 

I then also add in some vanilla flavouring because I love it, and decorate with some extra chocolate with some melted and drizzled on top, and then a sprinkle of chocolate chips because why not. I also just use dark chocolate because I love it. 

Method

So this cake is incredibly easy to make, and you definitely don’t need a mixer or anything similar. I always start by adding my ‘wet’ ingredients to a large bowl, similar to the carrot cake method. The oil, yoghurt, honey, eggs and courgette mix together first, and whilst it looks a little odd, trust it. 

I then add in the dry ingredients, and stir this through. I just use a bowl and spoon and stir it as you don’t want to over mix this cake mix. It’s really easy to mix together so don’t worry. I then fold through the chocolate chips and pour into the lined 2lb loaf tin and spread until even.

It takes about 45-55 minutes to bake, but ovens can vary, so keep an eye on it as it could take a little longer. Once baked, leave it to cool and drizzle on some extra chocolate if you want, but this is always optional.  

Tips & Tricks

• I use this 2lb loaf tin,
• This cake will last for 3-4+ days once made. On the side is fine, the fridge might make it more solid
• This cake will freeze for 3+ months easily
• You can replace the honey with 100g of light brown sugar
• You can use greek yoghurt or buttermilk in place of the natural yoghurt 
• You can use any flavour chocolate chip folded through 

Chocolate Courgette Loaf Cake!

A deliciously simple and refined sugar free chocolate courgette loaf cake with chocolate chips and a chocolate drizzle

Print Pin Rate

Category: Cake

Type: Chocolate, Loaf Cake

Keyword: Chocolate, Courgette

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Cooling time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Jane's Patisserie

Ingredients

• 75 ml vegetable oil
• 75 g natural yoghurt (or greek yoghurt/buttermilk)
• 75 ml honey
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 g courgette (grated weight)
• 150 g plain flour
• 35 g cocoa powder
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 125 g chocolate chips (I used dark)

Decoration

• 50 g dark chocolate (melted)
• chocolate chips

Grams - Ounces

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper
• Add the eggs, oil, yoghurt, vanilla, honey and courgette to a bowl and mix (I don't squeeze out the courgette)
• Add the flour, cocoa powder, bicarb, baking powder and salt and mix 
• Fold through the chocolate chips
• Pour into the lined tin and bake for 45-55 minutes 
• Cool fully and then decorate with melted chocolate and extra chocolate chips 

Notes

• I use this 2lb loaf tin,
• This cake will last for 3-4+ days once made. On the side is fine, the fridge might make it more solid
• This cake will freeze for 3+ months easily
• You can replace the honey with 100g of light brown sugar
• You can use greek yoghurt or buttermilk in place of the natural yoghurt 
• You can use any flavour chocolate chip folded through 

ENJOY!

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