Grass-green matcha cream cheese frosting adorns layers of super moist gluten free chocolate zucchini cake flecked with nutty sorghum flour.
Today is pretty much the most exciting day of my life. More than the day I won a poetry contest in 6th grade (which began “a lone bald eagle in a tree / collecting pollen a honey bee”). More than the day I finally passed my driving test (after failing three times). It comes close to the day we brought Catamus home from the SPCA (and he promptly destroyed our favorite houseplant). Today is the day that Alternative Baker is unleashed upon the world in all its buttery, sugary, gluten-free glory. (Plus, The Bojon Gourmet turns 7 this Friday!) Let’s celebrate with cake.
Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert with Gluten-Free Grains and Flours (my cookbook!)
I’m so grateful to everyone who’s helped along this journey, and I’m excited to hear how you all like the book. If you bake something from it, please snap a photo for Instagram and tag it #AlternativeBakerBook so I can squeal over it! If you don’t have a copy but are Alternative Baker curious, read all about it and order it here. If you want to hear me ramble on about the cookbook process, tune into The Dinner Special podcast to hear my super fun interview with Gabriel Soh. And you can drool over the Buckwheat Orange Double Chocolate Cookies that Alana just shared from the book!
Are you ready for cake?!
Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake gets fancy!
This gluten free chocolate zucchini cake is one of my very favorite recipes from Alternative Baker. I usually bake it in a single pan and cut it into squares, sheet cake style. But I thought we needed something a bit fancier this time around, so I doubled the recipe, baked it in three layers, and then I put gold on it because how often does one get to eat gold? Slightly more often than one releases a cookbook, I’d wager.
A cake that even cake-haters will love:
I’m generally not the biggest fan of cake – give me pie, crisp, cobbler, ice cream… pretty much any other dessert any day. Same goes for Jay. But this is one that we can’t keep our hands off of. Like all the recipes in Alternative Baker, it’s full of seasonal produce and whole grain flour, with a flavor twist to keep it tasting (and looking) fresh and vibrant.
First of all, cake usually doesn’t have much in the way of nutritional value. But this cake has a whole pound of zucchini in it, and loads of whole grain sorghum flour, so it’s basically health food. Cake tends to be dry and overly sweet. But this one gets moisture from the aforementioned shredded zucchini along with sunflower oil and brown sugar, with plenty of cocoa powder cutting the sweetness. Plus, I’ll eat just about anything if it’s covered in enough cream cheese frosting, and this version gets a delicious infusion of grassy matcha which, in addition to keeping the sweetness in check, turns the frosting green (see? health food!).
Matcha + Chocolate
The matcha/chocolate combo was inspired by some über-tasty cupcakes Sarah made for a dessert-themed birthday party over a year ago. They sparked a flavor obsession that’s still going strong, from Matcha Mint Chip Ice Cream, to Matcha Mint Grasshopper Pie, to hot fudge-topped matcha ice cream from my favorite SF ice cream shop, to Sarah’s matcha chocolate chunk rice krispie treats. And this cake, which, even though I tested approximately 1 billion times, I still want to eat. A lot.
Aside from eating too much of this cake, I’m looking forward to a day full of celebration including a relaxing acupuncture treatment, yoga class, and bowls of spicy ginger garlic miso ramen at Shizen (my latest obsession!).
Or perhaps I’ll bake a pie…
*Bojon appétit! Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten free chocolate zucchini cake, I’d love to see. Tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Chocolate Zucchini Layer Cake with Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting {gluten-free}
Print Recipe / Pin RecipeIngredients
Cake
- 1 pound (550 g) zucchini
- 2 cups (430 g) packed organic light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) sunflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons (20 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (120 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups (230 g) sorghum flour
- ½ cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (16 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 1 pound (550 g) cream cheese, softened
- 8 tablespoons (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups (200 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (12 g) good-quality culinary-grade matcha, plus a sprinkle for garnish
- 1 ⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- chocolate discs or shavings and edible gold leaf, for decoration
Instructions
- To make the cake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (175ºC). Rub three 8-inch round cake pans with softened butter, line each with a round of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the pans with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
- Trim the zucchini and grate them on the medium holes of a box grater (the ones that measure 1⁄8 inch [2–3 mm]); you should have 2 cups packed grated zucchini. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, oil, milk and vanilla extract, until combined well. In a medium bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder and salt, pushing through any clumps. Stir half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture until smooth, then add the grated zucchini, stirring until smooth, followed by the remaining flour mixture.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth into an even layer. Bake the cakes until the tops spring back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs, 30-40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans, at least 1 hour, then turn out and peel away the parchment. (The cakes can be wrapped and stored for up to 1 day.)
- To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, matcha powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the frosting on low speed, increasing to medium speed until smooth, light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving board or platter and use a small, offset spatula or butter knife to spread about one-fourth of the frosting over the top in an even layer. Top with a second cake layer and repeat, then repeat with the remaining cake layer, frosting the top and sides. If you like, decorate the top of the cake with chocolate discs or shavings, a sprinkle of matcha, and a touch of edible gold leaf (if you’re weird like me and happen to have it lying around).
- For the cleanest results, chill the cake to firm up the frosting, at least 1 hour. Cut the cake with a large, sharp chef’s knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. The cake is best within a day or two of baking, stored refrigerated airtight.
YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY! Sending you the biggest virtual hug and dancing around the living room with the cats in your honor! Love you and love what you’ve created!!!
What a gorgeous cake and I’m simply in awe of the flavor combos. Zucchini and matcha AND chocolate, so beyond brilliant! And as always, your photography is leaving me speechless.
Happy Launch Day! Immediately checking sorghum flour levels in the pantry as this is the right season to find a zucchini in my zip code and I want to eat this now-ish.
Oh Alanna, I am over the moon excited for you and so happy to have been a small part of this process. You are an incredible talent and anyone that is lucky enough to have this book in their home should consider themselves so very fortunate! I can’t wait to bake all the things… And purchase copies for many of my friends and family!
Congratulations and enjoy this very special day!
xoxo,
Maureen
What a gorgeous cake to celebrate! And you sure do have many reasons to celebrate, congratulations dear Alanna on your book! It will be on my shelf and in my hands very soon too, can’t wait… :-) <3
Congratulations! I can only imagine how exciting today is for you. And that cake- hubba hubba. Zucchini and matcha and cream cheese frosting? And that color! Beautiful.
Happy launch day! What a lovely book you’ve made. May this only be the first.
Also, great taste in ice cream. That’s my favorite too. :)
I’m so happy for you Alanna, and I can’t wait until Sunday! :D xoxo
Amazing! Happy everything day!!! Well deserved. Congratulations and enjoy. Beautiful pictures.
This looks delicious! Could I make it with regular flour instead of sorghum and rice?
That would probably work! If you can substitute by weight rather than volume, all the better. :)
Celebration time!!! Maybe I’ll even try this recipe.. Or wait till you bake it for me :-)
Can’t wait to celebrate with you this Sunday!
Love, YS
Congratulations from Spain, Alanna! The book looks great and I will definitely be ordering a copy. I only found your blog a few months ago, but I absolutely love love love your stunning photography and it has quickly become one of my favourites. It has also inspired me to finally start my own blog after years of not believing I could. Can’t wait to get my hands on the book :)
Happy Happy Launch Day Alanna, we are so excited for you! Our biggest Congratulations with a huge high five and lots of hugs! Making that cake tonight so I can be eating it when my cookbook arrives! Best, Lisa and all of us at Spice Society:)
Congratulations! The book looks amazing and so does this cake! Beautiful photos!
Congratulations on your beautiful book, Alanna! A big hug from Berlin :)
Huge congratulations Alanna! The kind of excitement where you just can’t stop smiling? It’s such a massive achievement and I can’t wait to get a copy of the book. Zucchini chocolate with the matcha frosting is such a intriguing combination too – and that creamy green frosting just makes me want to swipe my finger through it.
Congrats! I finally bought matcha to celebrate your success as I’ve wanted to try baking with it for years (inspired by you of course). I can’t wait for my pre-ordered copy of your book to show up. Will you have any local book signings? Please let your fans know.
SO MUCH to congratulate you on!
1. THE BOOK. YES, that is soooo exciting girl!
2. 7 YEARS? HOLY WHAT? That is an insane achievement!
3. This cake! MATCHA FROSTING? This is purely incr-EDIBLE.
You win. At life. And everything else that one could win at.
Alanna, I’m so, so, so happy for you today- I know your heart must be full. I know the cookbook will be nothing short of a masterpiece, and I can’t wait to see it in the flesh. Please keep doing what you’re doing because your photos transport me to a happy place no matter what kind of mood I’m in, and your words and devotion to your craft are truly inspiring. Congratulations, enjoy it! :)
Alanna! I didnt know you are so beautiful! You have a wonderful smile!
I wish you the best and I wish also to have the book in Argentina soon!!
Marisa
(you already know me, your Argentinean fan)
Alanna, you goddess you! So proud. So happy. I cannot wait to hold this beauty in my hands. Also, this might be my favorite photography of yours of all time (which is incredibly hard to say given your body of work). All the love, xx!
Such an incredibly beautiful cake!
the book is gorgeous, the cake is gorgeous, you are gorgeous, AND I AM SO EXCITED!
That color is crazy! I really enjoy making cakes but never seem to find the time or patience..I gotta work on that :)
First of all, I’m mesmerized by the sifting photo!!! And that is so exciting, congratulations Alanna! I can only imagine how delicious matcha cream cheese frosting is…..
Alanna, a huge and hearty congratulations to you! The book looks artful and beautiful, and I’m really excited to see it. Celebrate!
Congratulations, Alanna! I’m so happy for you! I just got my copy of the book, and wanted to say Thank you for writing such a beautiful masterpiece! I absolutely love it! Unlike many cookbooks which may have just a few recipes that jump at me, every single one of yours seems like a true gem. The photography is fabulous too, as always! Can’t wait to make the recipes!!
Aw, you’re so sweet Viktoria – thank you! :)
¡Felicidades! I’ve had your book in my shopping list on Amazon for quite some time and I just ordered it … looking forward to it so very much! All the best to you!
Aw, thank you so much Jackie!
I am making the cake now. 15 years ago I used a recipe for a wheat flour based chocolate chocolate chip zucchini bread. Since going gluten free I have tried to convert my traditional recipes and it is a daunting challenge for me. This recipe is just what I needed. Thanks and congrats to you.
Aw, thanks Rachel! Let me know how you like it. :)
Hi Alanna,
I’ve made this cake a couple of times and loooooove it. I’ve also been working my way through your cookbook with much happiness.
Question: I’d like to use this recipe to make cupcakes. Do you think I should change the recipe at all, and do you have any estimate for baking time?
Thank you for being the source of much deliciousness in my life!
Hi Eliza, I’m so glad you’re liking the cake and the book – yay! I tested this as cupcakes, and put the info in the header (sorry it was hiding there!) Here it is: For cupcakes, divide the batter among 12 paper-lined muffin cups and bake for 18–22 minutes. Let me know how you like ’em!
Thank you so much, Alanna! I’m making them today!
A wee bit late to the party but I think I’m going to make a cake like this for my birthday that’s coming up! This is one of the most beautiful cakes that I’ve come across and it sounds so incredibly delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Aw thanks for the kind words Scott! I hope you love the cake and that you have a sweet birthday. :)