An irresistibly light and moist zucchini cake – with a full cup of zucchini packed into the recipe!
Hello, zucchini season!!!
Lately, the zucchini just looks so good when I’m grocery shopping that somehow it always makes its way into my cart. And then when I get it home, I have to figure out what to do with it all! This past week, I’ve made sautéed zucchini, grilled zucchini, zucchini fritters, zucchini burgers, zucchini bread, and my all-time favorite Chocolate Zucchini Brownies (highly recommended if you haven’t tried them yet!).
Yet somehow, I still had zucchini left after all of that.
Frosted with the same homemade cream cheese frosting recipe I used on my Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe, this light zucchini cake is the perfect summer treat.
You can add raisins, walnuts, and/or shredded coconut if you wish; but it’s also quite delicious without any optional ingredients.
This zucchini cake recipe is one of my go-to recipes for any summer party, since everyone seems to go crazy for zucchini in the summertime. You can easily leave it out a few hours without refrigeration, making the recipe an ideal choice whenever you’re asked to bring dessert. For easier transportation, I like to quickly frost and slice the cake after arriving at my destination.
Feel free to eat this cake plain or use your favorite frosting recipe, or even top it with coconut butter.
(Here’s How To Make Coconut Butter)
I used the basic frosting recipe below. For vegan frosting, just use vegan brands of cream cheese and butter ,available in many regular grocery stores.
Zucchini Cake Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
4 oz salted butter
2 cups powdered sugar (or sugar free powdered sugar)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
optional sprinkle of cinnamon or a few drops maple extract
Let cream cheese and butter come to room temperature. Beat all ingredients with either an electric mixer or stand mixer (or by hand, which won’t be as whipped and fluffy but still works). If too thick, very slowly add a little milk of choice; if too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Spread on the cupcakes with either a knife or piped through an icing bag (I used a 1M icing tip). Cover and refrigerate leftover frosting for up to a week. The recipe makes about 2 cups of frosting.
Zucchini Cake
Adapted from Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini, loosely packed (200g)
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup oil (Replace with more applesauce only if you don’t mind a fat-free texture)
- 1 1/2 tsp white or cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups spelt, white, oat, or gf ap flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sugar of choice or xylitol
- optional 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or raisins
- optional handful crushed walnuts and/or shredded coconut
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 F and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients and let sit at least 10 minutes (or you can refrigerate overnight). In a separate bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour wet into dry, and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. Pour into the 8-inch pan and smooth down evenly. Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake tastes sweeter and has a better texture the day after it is made, and leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or sliced and frozen. I frosted the cake with 1/2 cup of the frosting recipe included earlier in this post.
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This looks A-amazing! Just by looking at the pictures I can tell how moist the cake is, and frosting never hurts.
Oh this is going to be delicious. Same issue here, I cannot stop buying zucchini they are so versatile and yummy. Plus there’s frosting can’t go wrong with that 😉
This looks very good! Does it actually TASTE like zuchinni? Either way, it sounds absolutzly delicious, whether you can taste it or not 🙂
Nope, it’s just like carrot cake. Just tastes like cake 😉
Oh yes–zucchinis are my favorite!! This looks like a gorgeous carrot cake–except with zucchini! I think the Greek yogurt frosting is a great idea too. I have to try it! And also, it would be great if you make a recipe of zucchini oatmeal!
This looks so good. Anything with zucchini is amazing!!!! 😀
I am making this right now! The batter is delicious and I am sure the cake will be too! Thanks for always making my day brighter 🙂
I’m just about to have a ton of zucchini ready to harvest from my garden and this cake looks like a perfect use for some of it! I really like your idea of frosting the cake right before serving too : )
Hi……I’m new to the vegan diet..other then stevia I’m not up on the ingreds. that I see are used on most recipes..I googled xylitol..obviously it a sweetener I just wanted to know more about it..an this was at Webmd.com Dog owners should know that xylitol can be toxic to dogs, even when the relatively small amounts from candies are eaten. If your dog eats a product that contains xylitol, it is important to take the dog to a veterinarian immediately…I didn’t know if you might like to add it as a note.? maybe some other newbies wouldn’t know about this either..I’m looking forward to making this..I have zucchini coming off now..heaven knows I’ll have enough to share with the free world..never fails..
Hi Wende,
Chocolate and avocado and raisins are also poisonous to dogs. Best to never feed a dog anything unless it’s been approved by a vet first 🙂
Vet approved doesn’t really mean anything though does it considering purina, pedigree chum etc are all vet approved which slowly kills your animals auto immune, swelling, cancers etc feed your animals naturally or try Origen only brand I really have confidence in
Vet approved doesn’t really mean anything though does it considering purina, pedigree chum etc are all vet approved which slowly kills your animals auto immune, swelling, cancers etc feed your animals naturally or try Origen only brand I really have confidence in
Hi Katie, I just made the chocolate chip Zucchinni Muffin last week, and it is so delicious, moist, that my co workers love it asking me to bake again. I followed the recipe using bob’s red mill 1to1. Hands down, the best chocolate muffin recipe I’ve done. I’ve been baking from the recipes on the book since my daughter gave it on Mothers Day and my friends have asked about your book. I’m on gluten free diet and I have yet to find any recipe that didn’t work. So far, all I have tried became hit at work and church. We will have a street party and I’m bringing all gluten free bake goods. I was asked if you have a recipe that uses avocado for baking. I have not explored your website because the book has all the best recipes. I’ve saved your emails and will try them when I’m done with the book.
Thank you so much!!! I have a few avocado baked goods. Maybe this cake would work? https://lett-trim.today/2014/10/14/avocado-chocolate-cake/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
This looks so delicious! One question though, does it actually taste of zucchini, or can’t you taste it? I’m sure it’s amazing either way!
It is just like carrot cake in that it’s more like a spice-cake taste.
Oh okay! Thanks so much! I will definitely try this, I have two zucchinis lying around at the moment haha 🙂