This delicious yet simple Zucchini Cake is made moist with fresh garden zucchini and walnuts. The warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg, along with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, take the flavor over the top. I love to take this cake to potlucks and family functions, as it is always a huge hit.
![This delicious yet simple Zucchini Cake is made moist with fresh garden zucchini and walnuts. The warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice along with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting take it over the top.](https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/zucchini-cake-16-683x1024.webp)
This time of the year, so many garden growers have oodles and oodles of zucchini. We are zucchini-eating fools here. This scrumptious cake is one of our favorite zucchini recipes.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- It is so delicious! Your family and friends will love it. Be ready to share the recipe.
- You can use up all your summer garden zucchini, making your friends and family fat and sassy.
- This tasty cake stays moist for days. No dry day-old cake here.
Key Ingredients
- Zucchini: fresh zucchini is the star of the show here.
- Warm spices: like cinnamon and nutmeg
- Walnuts: you can substitute walnuts or pecans
- Vanilla extract: the pure stuff, please
- Cream cheese: full-fat
How to make Zucchini Cake
This cake is made in three easy steps. First, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate large bowl, stir together the grated zucchini, eggs, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in several increments, mixing just until combined. Then, fold in the chopped walnuts.
Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking pan that has been greased and floured or sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Bake just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer, 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.
Beth’s Recipe Tips
- 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.
- Check for doneness after 35 minutes and every 3 minutes or so after that. Insert a toothpick in the center to ensure no wet batter clings to it. This cake is best not over-baked.
How To Freeze Grated Zucchini
This time of year, many of you are gardening, and you may have quite an abundance of zucchini. Did you know that grated zucchini freezes quite well and can be used for future cakes, muffins, bread, and even fritters?
Simply grate the zucchini with a food processor or old-fashioned box grater (this is where that food processor may come in handy), then allocate a certain amount to each quart freezer bag depending on how much is needed for your favorite recipes (hint, hint, hint). I like to do some of the bags with 3 cups and some with 2 cups, as this seems to cover most of my favorite recipes. Label and date the freezer bags.
Double wrap by adding several quart bags to gallon bags. Store in the freezer for up to six months for all your favorite zucchini baking recipes. To thaw, simply place it in the refrigerator overnight.
More Cakes You Will Love
Zucchini Cake
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
- 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.
Caitie
I made this recipe before to take to a potluck… everyone raved about the recipe and asked where to find it! One of our favorites and so easy! I now have some frozen zucchini to use up, but have a question. If using frozen zucchini, when thawed, do you add in the water that accumulates as the zucchini thaws, or do you drain off the water? Thanks in advance!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Caitie! We love the cake too! You can use frozen shredded but squeeze most of the moisture out.