Zucchini Cake

This scrumptious and moist zucchini cake is flavored with fresh zucchini, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It is all topped with an easy five-ingredient cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword best moist zucchini cake recipe, zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting, zucchini spice cake

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 601kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Zucchini Cake

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups grated zucchini
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped walnuts

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. In a separate large bowl, stir together the grated zucchini, eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the zucchini mixture in several intervals mixing just until combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake; start checking at 35 minutes and every 3 minutes thereafter. Cool completely.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese, cinnamon, and vanilla until light, fluffy and smooth. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as needed. Spread on the fully-cooled cake.
This cake should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.

Notes

This cake is better on the second day, so ideally, bake the cake a day in advance and ice the cake the day you are going to serve it.
Grate the unpeeled zucchini with the small grate end of a box grater. It really takes just minutes. It will take you a lot longer to wash and dry your food processor.
Bring your eggs to room temperature and soften your butter and cream cheese before making the frosting.
Always load the cake on the middle rack in the center of your preheated oven.
Check for doneness after 35 minutes and every 3 minutes or so after that. Insert a toothpick in the center to make sure no wet batter clings to it. This cake is best not over-baked.
The cake must be fully cooled before icing. This can take up to several hours, so plan accordingly.
Store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition