Zucchini Cake (Moist, Cream Cheese Frosting & No Squeezing Needed!)
This easy zucchini cake recipe is made in one bowl with no squeezing required — warmly spiced with cinnamon and allspice, naturally moist from fresh zucchini and mashed banana, and topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting. The perfect sheet cake for summer potlucks, birthdays, and backyard gatherings.
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 at room temperature
- ¼ cup vanilla or plain yogurt preferably whole milk yogurt, at room temperature
- 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 do not squeeze
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 8 oz. (1 block) full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 ¼ cups (420g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Zucchini Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, mashed banana, and yogurt until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Gently stir until streaks of flour just disappear. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini — do not squeeze first — until combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake 35–40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack for 1–2 hours.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter at medium-high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add half the powdered sugar on low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl. Add remaining powdered sugar and repeat.
- Beat at high speed 1–2 minutes until whipped and fluffy.
- Spread evenly over the completely cooled cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Notes
- Do not squeeze the zucchini — the moisture keeps the cake tender. Exception: very large, watery zucchinis may need a light squeeze.
- Don't overmix — stir until streaks of flour just disappear for a tender crumb.
- Use room temperature ingredients — especially the eggs, yogurt, cream cheese, and butter.
- Block cream cheese only — not spreadable tub cream cheese.
- Zucchini bars — bake in a 10x8-inch pan for 32–35 minutes.
- Make ahead — bake the cake up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate covered; frost the day of serving.
- Storage — refrigerate frosted cake 3–4 days. Freeze unfrosted up to 3 months.
- High altitude (5,000+ ft) — increase flour by 2 tablespoons, reduce baking soda to ¼ teaspoon, and increase oven temp by 15–25°F.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 4gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 1gSugar: 46gVitamin A: 386IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
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