Zucchini Cake Recipe

Zucchini cake on a plate with a slice of it on a fork.

5 from 2 votes

This zucchini cake is extra special, not just because it's soft, moist, and very easy to make. This sheet cake is made with an addition of orange zest and cardamom. Both flavors go beautifully with zucchini, cinnamon, and nutmeg to enhance overall flavor of the cake. It's also topped with lightly spiced cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Cooling time:2

Total Time2 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 579kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Equipment

9x13 aluminum baking pan
measuring cups, dry and liquid
box grater
whisk
large mixing bowl
hand held or standing mixer

Ingredients

Zucchini Cake

14-16 oz zucchini 2 medium to small zucchinis
3/4 cup vegetable or avocado oil
3 eggs
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 orange - zest only
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese block, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
pinch salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Before Starting:

About 30-45 minutes before starting to cook, pull out your eggs so they warm up a little. You will also want to pull out the cream cheese and butter about an hour before making the frosting.
Preheat the oven 350℉ and grease a 9x13 aluminum baking pan.
Expert tip: aluminum is usually the best choice for baking because it's an excellent heat conductor, it baked evenly and takes less time.

Making The Cake:

Wash zucchini, pat it dry, and use a large grate on a box grater to grate the zucchini right into a large mixing bowl. No need to peel it!
Add both sugars, oil, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla into the bowl with zucchini. Whisk everything until smooth and combined.
Add your dry ingredients into the bowl and mix everything until just smooth and combined. Make sure it is mixed well but don't over-mix.
Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and make sure it's spread evenly. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to ensure the batter is spread as evenly as possible.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Ways to tell if it's done: if you touch the center of the cake, it will feel firm with no squishy spots. Although, best and most accurate way to tell is to take internal temperature. Quick breads, cakes, and muffins internal temperature when done is 200℉-205℉.
Once baked, take the cake out of the oven and let it rest about 10-15 minutes on the counter.
To loosen the cake before taking it out, hold the pan at about 45° angle and tap the side edges on the counter. This will help loosen the cake so you can take it out of the pan.
To take the the cake out of the pan, cover the pan with a cooling wire rack and gently flip. The cake should transfer to the wire rack. To flip the cake on the bottom side, simply cover it with another wire rack and carefully flip.
Expert tip: if the cake is not easily coming out, you can gently lift it away from the pan using a spatula. Go around the edges, sliding the spatula under and gently lifting. This will loosed it if it's a little more stuck to the pan than usual.
COOL the cake for at least 2 hours. Do NOT try to frost warm cake or the frosting will melt. Cake should be at room temperature or cooler before frosting.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting:

You can use stand up mixer or hand-held mixer for this recipe. Beat softened butter and cream cheese together, on medium-high speed, until smooth. Beat it for a 2-3 minutes.
Lower the speed to low and mix in powdered sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and vanilla extract. Turn the speed back up to medium-high and beat for another minute or two, until the frosting is light, smooth, and fluffy.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and voilà!

Video

Notes

Lining the baking pan: if you're not sure about your baking pan sticking or it's on the older side, you can line the bottom of it with parchment paper. Place the pan on top of a sheet of parchment paper and trace along the bottom. Cut out the shape and place it inside the baking pan after you grease it.

Zucchini especially moist? Some home-grown zucchini can be quite juicy. If your zucchini seems to have excess juices, you can blot some with a paper towel before mixing the batter.

Using Bundt pan: you can use a Bundt cake pan. Use a standard 10-cup Bundt cake pan but the time will need to be adjusted. Since the thickness of the cake is increased in a Bundt pan, you will need to increase baking time. It will take anywhere between 50-65 minutes, so start checking after 45 minutes. You can check by touch but it's best to use instant read digital thermometer.

Will this work as cupcakes? Yes! Line the muffin baking pan with cupcake liners, fill each one 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 18-20 minutes. You may want to double the frosting recipe if making cupcakes.

Nutrition