Ingredients
Scale
For the bread:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 medium), squeezed dry
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
For the cream cheese swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving some overhang on the long sides so you can lift the loaf out later.
- Grate the zucchini, then wrap it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. This step keeps the loaf from turning soggy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Don’t overmix or the bread can turn dense.
- Fold in the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick.
- Make the swirl. In a separate small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- Spoon about two-thirds of the chocolate batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the top, then cover it with the remaining chocolate batter.
- Drag a butter knife or skewer through the batter in a few figure-eight motions to create the swirl. A few passes is plenty; over-swirling muddies the two layers.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the chocolate part comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The cream cheese sections will stay slightly soft, so aim your test spot into the batter.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then use the parchment to lift it onto a wire rack.
- Cool completely before slicing. The cream cheese swirl needs time to set, and the loaf slices much cleaner once it’s no longer warm.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
