Chocolate Courgette Loaf Cake – Dairy Free Recipe

This Chocolate Courgette Loaf Cake Recipe is a recipe I have created to enter the Don Carlos Recipe Contest (fingers crossed for me!). It beautifully highlights the versatility of their Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I used extra virgin for a deep, delicious olive oil flavour that combines with the rich, decadent chocolate notes. You can use Pure Olive Oil or their “Mellow & Light” Olive Oil if you don’t particularly like the stronger taste of Extra Virgin. The addition of the olive oil really helps keep the loaf moist which helps keep the loaf fresher for longer!

So how do I make this Chocolate Courgette Loaf Cake from scratch?

This recipe is super easy to throw together! Begin by grating the courgette and leaving to one side. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, oil, milk and cocoa powder. Whisk well until no lumps remain. You can use a hand whisk for this or an electric whisk, it’s up to you. Just remember to be careful and don’t over mix the batter. Add in the grated courgette and mix with a rubber spatula until everything is incorporated fully. Pour into a greased and lined loaf tin. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool fully before removing from the tin and slicing.

Top with dark chocolate ganache if desired, however this will make it not dairy free! To make the ganache melt together equal quantities of dark chocolate and cream and pour over the cooled loaf.

This recipe also works wonderfully as muffins. Simply divide into a muffin tray and bake for 20-30 minutes. This recipe will make around 12 muffins.

Do I leave the skin on the courgette?

Yes! You absolutely can. I usually wash mine and remove the end pieces before grating. Courgette skin is super thin, totally edible and doesn’t effect the texture of the cake in any way.

Should I pat dry the grated courgette?

I have seen some recipes call for this. For this recipe, it’s not necessary. The grated courgette helps add moisture to the cake so you don’t want to remove that moisture.

Why is my cake still raw in the middle?

This recipe contains a lot of liquids. Because of this, it takes a while in the oven to cook (at least 50-6 minutes). It’s possible that you may have under baked it. To check that the cake is done, insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf and all the way down to the bottom of the cake. If the skewer comes out totally clean, it is ready. If it comes out a little wet, cook for a further 10 minutes. If it comes out covered in raw cake batter, it will need at least 15-20 minutes more.

It’s also possible that your oven temperature is set too high. If your oven temperature is too high, your cake will cook quickly on the outside but may have a raw centre. Try reducing your oven temperature and cooking for a little longer. If this is a regular occurrence, consider looking into buying an oven thermometer. They are a inexpensive investment and can really help you accurately gauge the oven temperature.

Recommended Equipment

Mixing Bowls – Click Here

Hand Mixer – Click Here

Kitchen Aid – Click Here

Rubber Spatula – Click Here

Box Grater – Click Here

Loaf Tin – Click Here

Cake Testers – Click Here

For more Chocolate Recipes, check out my Chocolate Category, here.

Maybe you want more Cake Recipes? Take a peek at my Cake Recipes, here.

Perhaps you’re on the hunt for more Dairy Free Recipes? Check out my Dairy Free Recipes, here.