This Zucchini Cake is an easy and delicious recipe that takes only minutes to whip up and is topped with a cream cheese frosting.
So I will admit, I love baking with zucchini! Especially when it comes to cake recipes. There is just something that zucchini adds that is amazing.
Plus it is an easy way to sneak in some vegetables in your desserts and the kids won’t even know if you don’t tell them, which is one of my favorite parts, plus it’s cake!
This is the time of year where we love to make all the zucchini desserts and this Zucchini Cake is one that we absolutely adore, especially with the cream cheese frosting.
The frosting really makes this cake, it makes the flavors blend perfectly together, you can however use any kind of frosting you’d like but I would highly recommend the cream cheese.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easy pantry staple recipe help make this cake whip up in no time.
- It makes a large pan to serve many people!
- You can add nuts or not, we do but it is a personal preference.
We also love this recipe because it is homemade, I’ve said it many times before that I am NOT against a box mix at all, we use them all the time.
But there is something about something being completely homemade that makes me feel like it was made with love, thats how I feel about this Zucchini Cake Recipe!
HOW TO MAKE ZUCCHINI CAKE, STEP BY STEP:
- In a large bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth
- Add in your in zucchini and nuts if using.
- Fold in until everything is combined.
- Pour into a a 9″x13″ cake pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean, cool then make frosting and frost.
We love to use nuts in our Zucchini Bread, it just gives it some extra crunch and flavor, it is absolutely a personal preference but something that we like to do.
You can absolutely leave them out if you’re not a fan, it will not change the texture of the cake itself at all so you do not need to worry about that.
HOW TO STORE:
This cake needs to be kept refrigerated because it uses cream cheese frosting, if you were to use any other frosting it would be able to be left out.
To store wrap cake pan in tin foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator where it should last about 3-4 days, if there is any left!
I do not recommend freezing this cake.
This Zucchini Cake Recipe has hints of fall flavor so it is perfect for end of summer and early fall since we use some light spices in it it gives off a nice flavors.
To switch some things up we often like to add a little cinnamon to our frosting, it really is delicious we do it a lot with any recipes with zucchini it it, it really just brings out the flavor overall.
Some of our other zucchini desserts recipes we love include:
- The Best Zucchini Brownies
- Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Banana Zucchini Sheet Cake
There are so many different Zucchini recipes that you can make, not just desserts, but I mean come on this is a dessert website so obviously they are the best to me!
This cake has quickly become one of our favorite recipes in the world! I don’t know why but there is something about this Zucchini Cake that I just love.
I think it’s just all the flavors combined together, once you try it you will understand what I’m talking about and you won’t turn back!
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- If you want smaller shreds of zucchini use the smaller shredder part of the food grater.
- You can use nuts if you like, but they are not necessary, we use walnuts but pecans are also amazing.
- Cream cheese frosting is recommended, but you can use any frosting that is your favorite.
- This cake needs to be refrigerated, see my notes above on how to store.
- If you don’t want to make homemade frosting a canned frosting will work just fine.
If you want that perfect slice of cake then you need to whip up this Zucchini Cake! You will fall in love and want to make it over and over again!
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If you’ve tried this ZUCCHINI CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini finely grated
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup walnuts chopped (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 6-8 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Grate the zucchini, set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix buy hand until smooth and just combined.
- Gently fold in zucchini and nuts (if using).
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and cake springs back when touched.
- Remove from oven to cooling rack, cool completely
Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, and beat until smooth.
- Add in butter, and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well in between each addition and beat until smooth.
- Add in vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Spread frosting onto cake with an offset spatula (you may have some frosting leftover).
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator covered with tin foil or plastic wrap.
Notes
- If you want smaller shreds of zucchini use the smaller shredder part of the food grater.
- You can use nuts if you like, but they are not necessary, we use walnuts but pecans are also amazing.
- Cream cheese frosting is recommended, but you can use any frosting that is your favorite.
- This cake needs to be refrigerated, see my notes above on how to store.
- If you don't want to make homemade frosting a canned frosting will work just fine.
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