This Zucchini Cake brings together the best of summer squash and cozy baking in one irresistible slice. Grated zucchini (no squeezing needed!) keeps the cake unbelievably moist while cinnamon and allspice add a touch of warmth. It’s all crowned with a fluffy and tangy cream cheese frosting. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or craving a sweet seasonal treat, it’s pure comfort in cake form.
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Nothing says it's mid-summer like armfuls of zucchini, and I'm here today with a delicious and easy-to-make recipe for making the most of this favorite summertime veggie: zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting!
Freshly shredded zucchini is scattered throughout a tender and moist sponge, and mashed banana and vanilla yogurt add natural sweetness and extra moisture. Ground cinnamon and allspice elevate the cake, adding warmly spiced notes and differentiating this cake recipe from the rest. A light and fluffy whipped cream cheese frosting tops it all, making it the best zucchini cake recipe. It makes the perfect housewarming gift, potluck dessert, or just-because seasonal indulgence.
For more zucchini baking recipes, check out my Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Zucchini Carrot Muffins, and Banana Zucchini Bread.
Zucchini Cake Ingredients
Zucchini: Choose a firm zucchini with smooth, dark green skin. Trim the ends before shredding on a box or hand shredder or in a food processor fitted with a shredding attachment.
All-Purpose Flour: Adds structure and a light crumb to the cake. If possible, weigh the flour with a food scale for the most delicate crumb. Otherwise, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level off the top.
Oil: Adds moisture and richness to this zucchini dessert recipe. Choose vegetable, canola, or melted coconut oil. If using coconut oil, melt it and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before adding it to the cake.
Mashed Bananas: You will need ½ cup or 1 large mashed banana. This adds sweetness and moisture to the cake, perfectly complementing and accenting the spices and mellow-sweet zucchini flavor.
Yogurt: For the best flavor, use whole milk yogurt. I prefer whole milk vanilla yogurt, but plain yogurt also works great. Use standard yogurt for this recipe, not Greek.
Vanilla Extract: Opt for pure vanilla extract if possible, as it offers superior nutty-sweet flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
Cream Cheese: You will need 1 block of full-fat cream cheese. Avoid low-fat or fat-free, as they do not have the needed richness or flavor. Bring the cheese to room temperature for 1-2 hours before making the frosting. You will know it is properly softened when it easily indents when gently pressed.
Unsalted Butter: Whips up with the cream cheese, complementing the tanginess of it and making the frosting light and easy to spread. Use unsalted butter to best control the flavor of the frosting and bring it to room temperature 1-2 hours before starting on the recipe.
Confectioners' Sugar: Sweetens the frosting while keeping it light and fluffy. For the best consistency, measure the sugar by weighing it. If you don't have a food scale, scoop the sugar into a measuring cup before leveling off the top.
How to Make Zucchini Cake
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Bake the Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Whisk the oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, mashed banana, and yogurt in a large mixing bowl until combined.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and allspice to the wet ingredients. Gently stir together until the streaks of flour just disappear. Don’t overmix it, or the cake will be dense and heavy.
Step 3: Fold in the shredded zucchini until combined.
Note: Do not squeeze the excess moisture out of the zucchini. We will rely on it to add moisture to the cake, plus it makes this recipe easier to make!
Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.
Step 5: Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire cooling rack for 1-2 hours or until cooled to room temperature.
Frost the Cake
Step 1: Add the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer bowl or a mixing bowl. Beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat in on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and repeat.
Step 3: Add the vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Beat the frosting at medium-high or high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until it is whipped, light, and fluffy.
Step 4: Frost the top of the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting, spreading it out evenly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours before serving.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Measure the flour and powdered sugar carefully. Too much of either will result in a heavy cake or overly thick frosting. The best way to measure these two ingredients is by weight. If you don't have a food scale, scoop them into measuring cups before leaving them off with a knife.
- Don't squeeze or drain the zucchini. Though some zucchini dessert recipes call for squeezing out or draining the zucchini moisture, this isn't one of them. Just shred the zucchini and stir it into the batter. The excess moisture is needed to help make the crumb moist and tender.
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir in the flour and zucchini until just combined. Overstirring it will result in a heavy and dense cake.
- Soften the cream cheese and butter. Room temperature ingredients whip up the easiest, so let them sit out for at least 1-2 hours before starting on the frosting. You will know they are properly softened when you can easily press your finger into them.
- Whip the cream cheese frosting for the directed time. This is the secret to perfectly light, fluffy, and spreadable cream cheese frosting! Whip the butter and cream cheese together for 2 minutes and another two minutes after adding the powdered sugar and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed throughout.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting. If the cake is still warm, the frosting will melt off it. Cool it at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until it is cooled throughout. You can speed up this process by moving the cake to the refrigerator after 30 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Zucchini Bars: Follow the directions as listed, baking the cake in a prepared 10 x 8-inch baking pan for 32-35 minutes to make zucchini bars. Cool the bars and frost as directed.
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake: Elevate this cake with chocolate by stirring ½ cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips with the shredded zucchini.
- Zucchini Carrot Cake: If you like carrot cake, you'll LOVE zucchini carrot cake! Substitute half of the zucchini with freshly shredded carrots and follow the recipe as listed.
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake: No gluten? No problem! Swap 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for all-purpose and let the cake batter rest for 30 minutes before baking.
- Raisin & Walnut Cake: Add extra natural sweetness and nuttiness by folding in ½ cup of raisins and chopped walnuts with the shredded zucchini.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: The zucchini cake can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
FAQs
Though some zucchini cake recipes call for draining zucchini before baking with it, this recipe is not one of them! Instead, the recipe calls on the vegetable's natural moisture to enhance the cake's delicate crumb. It also makes this recipe low-fuss!
No, zucchini does not need to be peeled for baking though you can peel it if desired. Its skin is tender with a neutral, sweet flavor, so leaving it on will not affect the flavor of the baked goods. In many situations, the green flecks add an eye-catching finish to the baked goods.
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Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
More Summer Dessert Recipes
- Stovetop Peach Cobbler
- Blueberry Peach Crisp
- Apricot Cobbler
- Gluten-Free Blackberry Cobbler
- Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Recipe Card
Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Zucchini Cake
- ½ cup oil canola, vegetable, or melted coconut oil
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs brought to room temperature
- ¼ cup vanilla or plain yogurt preferably whole milk yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup mashed bananas from about 1 large overripe banana; or applesauce
- 2 ¾ cup (345g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 ¾ cup unpeeled shredded zucchini
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 oz. (1 block) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 ¼ cups (420g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Zucchini Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray
- Whisk the oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, mashed banana, and yogurt in a large mixing bowl until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and allspice to the wet ingredients. Gently stir together until the streaks of flour just disappear. Don't overmix it, or the cake will be dense and heavy.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini until combined. Note: do not squeeze the excess moisture out of the zucchini. We will rely on it to add moisture to the cake, plus it makes this recipe easier to make!
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake on a wire cooling rack for 1-2 hours or until cooled to room temperature.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until light and fluffy.
- Add half of the powdered sugar. Beat in on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and repeat.
- Beat the frosting at medium-high or high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until it is whipped, light, and fluffy.
- Frost the top of the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting, spreading it out evenly. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours before serving.
Your zucchini cake recipe is not only delicious but also a reminder of the joy in simple pleasures.
Thank you for sharing your baking expertise; it's a treat for both the taste buds and the soul.
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Hi, Elle!
Oh, I am so glad to hear that you liked it! Thanks so much for sharing and reviewing. 🙂
All the best,
Chelsea