Looking for an easy zucchini cake recipe? Look no further, this super moist zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting is absolutely incredible! Forget the hassle of making a layer cake, this zucchini sheet cake recipe is much easier and tastes just as amazing.
Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you are growing zucchini in your garden, you’ve likely got loads of it, right? Enjoying a moist, delicious zucchini cake recipe is the perfect way to use that garden fresh zucchini. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, this delicious sheet cake recipe is kept extra moist with a good amount of zucchini.
Topped with a thick, delicious layer of cream cheese frosting, this zucchini sheet cake will be your new favorite summer dessert.
How do you make zucchini cake from scratch?
Here are the steps to making zucchini cake from scratch.
- First step: shred fresh zucchini. You’ll need 2 1/2 cups, which is about three medium zucchini.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients; eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Make the batter by combining the wet and dry ingredients. Then, fold in the shredded zucchini.
For exact ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions for this zucchini cake recipe, be sure to reference the recipe at the bottom of this post. Just scroll down to the bottom.
Do you peel zucchini for cake?
No, you do not need to peel zucchini for cake. The green peel of the zucchini is edible and adds a nice color to the cake.
What pan should I use for sheet cake?
A traditional sheet cake recipe, like this zucchini cake recipe, will need a 15″x10″x1″ sheet pan. This size of pan is often referred as a jelly roll pan.
Prior to making the batter for this cake, lightly spray the pan with non-stick baking spray. I like Spectrum Non-Stick Coconut Oil Spray.
Why is zucchini used in baking?
Much like bananas, carrots or apples, zucchini is a great way to add extra volume and moisture to baked goods. Zucchini has a very mild flavor, so the spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in this cake recipe really shine through.
What frosting is best for zucchini cake?
I highly recommend pairing this moist, delicious zucchini cake with my simple cream cheese frosting recipe. Check out my post for how to make cream cheese frosting for tips and tricks to getting an amazing texture and consistency.
When frosting this cake, make sure the cake has cooled completely after coming out of the oven.
Zucchini Cake Mix-in’s and Toppings
Here are a few ideas on additional stir-in’s to this cake batter and items to add to the top of the frosting:
- Chopped walnuts – adding 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the batter will give the cake a great crunch. Adding a sprinkling of chopped walnuts to the top of the frosting is also a great addition.
- Chopped pecans – same goes for pecans. Pecans are fantastic added to a cake to give it a richness and crunch. Add a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the batter and/or topping the frosting.
- Sour cream – sour cream is a fantastic addition to any cake to give it extra moisture after baking. My Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake is an excellent example of a super moist cake with sour cream.
- Raisins – adding raisins to your cake batter adds another level of sweetness to the cake. I recommend letting your raisins soak in hot water (and draining) to help the raisins plump up and
- Mini chocolate chips – these are a fantastic addition to any zucchini cake! The chocolate is very complimentary to the flavor of the cake. About 1/2 – 2/3 cup of mini chips is ideal for this cake. Fold into the batter once all ingredients have been mixed.
- Shredded coconut – shredded coconut adds a great sweetness and texture to the cake. Add about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of sweetened, shredded coconut to the batter after all ingredients have been mixed.
- Orange or lemon zest – the zest of an orange or lemon will add a very pleasant citrus flavor to the cake. Use a microplane tool to zest the citrus into the batter once all the ingredients have been mixed.
What can I serve with zucchini cake?
Once this zucchini cake has been frosted, it is ready to slice and serve. This sheet cake serves 20 square cake slices. It can be served with coffee, tea or any other hot beverage. Enjoy after dinner as a dessert or as an afternoon treat with coffee or tea.
How long will zucchini cake last?
When covered and refrigerated, this zucchini cake will last for 5-7 days. It can be left out at room temperature, but will only last a couple of days. Typically anything with cream cheese frosting keeps the best when refrigerated.
If you loved this zucchini recipe, check out these other ideas that use zucchini:
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Mini Healthy Carrot Zucchini Muffins by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
If sheet cake is your thing, check out my awesome sheet cake recipes:
- Carrot Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Buttermilk Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
- Red Velvet Sheet Cake
- Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
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Moist Zucchini Sheet Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 15 x 10 Pan This 15 x 10 sheet pan is ideal for baking sheet cakes!
- Stand Mixer My KitchenAid Stand Mixer is fantastic for cake and frosting recipes!
- Rubber Scrapers This set of 3 silicone rubber scrapers are ideal for baking!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Wet Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup unflavored coconut oil can also use vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 1 (8 oz. pkg.) cream cheese room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 15x10x1″ sheet pan with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until well combined. Add in the shredded zucchini, and mix well. Batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth out evenly with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and crumb-free. Remove cake from oven and let cool to room temperature.
- For the frosting: With a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and incorporate well. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Slice and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
The zucchini recipe was easy to use
This was good. I lowered the granulated sugar to 1 1/2 cup and put in toasted walnuts. I used a different cream cheese icing recipe. Everyone enjoyed the cake!