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This classic Zucchini Cake is extra fluffy and moist, filled with spices, and topped with a mouthwatering homemade cream cheese frosting!
Homemade zucchini cake is a comforting, cozy dessert we have on repeat in this house. If you love this easy dessert with hidden veggies, be sure to give my Chocolate Zucchini Cake and Lemon Zucchini Bread a try.
Moist and Fluffy Zucchini Cake
Zucchini cake is one of my favorite ways to use fresh zucchini when it’s in season!
It’s perfectly moist and fluffy, filled with warm spices, and topped with a delectable cream cheese frosting. It’s definitely an easy cake recipe that you want in your recipe book.
As a kid, I was always extra suspicious of vegetables in dessert recipes. Carrot Cake, Zucchini Bread, Zucchini Muffins, you name it.
I was convinced my parents were trying to push a healthy agenda on me (the nerve!). So, out of principle, I didn’t like zucchini spice cake.
Luckily, with age comes wisdom, and I eventually came to my senses. Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is just the best!
How to Make Frosted Zucchini Cake
This zucchini cake recipe is amazingly soft and moist, spiced with cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and a hint of ginger. Plus, there’s loads of caramelized brown sugar flavor throughout the crumb. I cannot wait for you to try it!
PREP. While the oven preheats to 350ºF, grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter and dust it with flour.
BATTER. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat together the wet ingredients. Stir the sour cream and zucchini into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Next, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined.
BAKE. Transfer the cake batter to your prepared baking pan, then bake for 40-45 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. After the cake is baked and cooled, it’s ready to be topped with cream cheese frosting.
Beat the butter and cream cheese, adding in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until smooth. Finally, beat in the vanilla.
FROST. Using a flat-edged knife or offset spatula, spread the frosting over the zucchini cake.
Ingredient Tips
I like to think of zucchini cake as the just-as-delicious cousin to Carrot Cake. Both turn humble garden vegetables into a scrumptious, mouthwatering dessert!
Zucchini. The zucchini can be peeled if you’d prefer not to see any green. Use the small side of a box grater for easy shredding.
Most zucchini cake recipes account for, and even rely on, the extra moisture that zucchini provides (this recipe included). Don’t squeeze the water out!
How to remove zucchini seeds. If you can’t get your hands on seedless zucchini, you’ll want to remove the seeds. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and drag it along the center of the zucchini to scrape out the seeds.
Use room temperature ingredients. Ensure ingredients like the sour cream for the cake and the butter and cream cheese in the frosting are soft before getting started.
Additions. Fold chopped walnuts, raisins, or chocolate chips into the zucchini cake batter.
Recipe Tips
Different baking pans. Make different size cakes.
- Cupcakes. Bake them at 350ºF for 18-22 minutes.
- Two 9” round pans or a sheet cake. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Bundt cake. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
Since all ovens heat a little differently, I recommend checking for doneness 5 minutes before the given baking time (see the next tip!).
Check for doneness. The easiest way to check if the cake is done is to use a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. If not, return your zucchini cake to the oven to bake a bit longer.
Let the cake cool. Allow enough time so this best recipe for zucchini cake can cool completely before frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will melt.
Dry zucchini cake. This could be because your dry ingredients are out of balance, or there isn’t enough moisture in the zucchini. Ensure zucchini has a high enough water content and that you’re accurately measuring your ingredients!
Storing info
STORE. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
FREEZE the unfrosted zucchini cake by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and storing it in the freezer. Thaw the cake in the fridge overnight and then frost when ready.
Recipe FAQ
Most zucchini cake recipes account for, and even rely on, the extra moisture that zucchini provides (this recipe included). Don’t squeeze the water out!
You don’t have to. However, the zucchini can be peeled if you’d prefer not to see any green. Use the small side of a box grater for easy shredding.
For more tasty zucchini baking, try:
Zucchini Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Zucchini Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese well softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter well softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Zucchini Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the oil, sugars, vanilla extract & eggs until well blended. Turn off the mixer and stir in the sour cream and shredded zucchini.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly beat in the flour mixture until combined. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Oven times vary, so I'd recommend checking first at 35 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Once the cake is cooled, make the frosting. (You can speed this up by cooling the cake in the fridge).
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until well combined. Then slowly beat in the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Then frost the cake using a flat edge knife.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Unfrosted cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen. Then thaw in the fridge overnight.
- This recipe was originally shared by Fiona at Just So Tasty.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Appreciate the tips in the post. Since many recipes call for it I would wonder if I needed to squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini so I’m glad I read the post tips.
Yummy! Tons of zucchini this time of year. Great recipe for cake. You will love it!
This cake is so moist & fluffy!! I love when I have zucchini that I need to use up, because this is always my go-to!
I love a moist cake, and this didn’t disappoint. So good, AND the cream cheese frosting was perfect. A party staple from now on!
I love this cake. It’s so moist and delicious!
I think this is going to become the next carrot cake because this is the most fantastic cake! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
So delicious!!!!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the cake!
how much cloves? its not listed in the ingredients.
Nice! Had the same aversion to zucchini-anything (bread usually) growing up and for the same reason! This takes me back in a good way now though, since I’ve reconciled with zucchini so was happy to see this wonderful recipe, haven’t delved into the zucchini-cake side of things before, so thank you!
Well, now you’ll have to try 🙂 Let me know what you think & thank you for sharing!
Fiona,
Thank you. I looked at solo many recipes. I made yours. Wonderful and delicious. A must keep recipe.
This looks so cute! Perfect for summer! Definitely want to make when I have people over to my new house!