Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Cake
A great way to use up garden zucchini. If you’re up to your eyeballs in this prolific garden produce, here’s a great way to use some of it. You don’t taste the zucchini, so you can sneak it in and picky eaters will never know. Instead, the zucchini adds moisture and a lovely texture, but what you’ll taste is the rich flavors of brown sugar and vanilla, accented by the sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting. Easy to make. A no-fuss, quick and easy recipe that can be served right in the pan it’s baked in. Perfect for summer parties. It serves a crowd and will be devoured by everyone, trust me! I typically alternate between this cake and strawberry shortcake during the summer months. Minimal decoration. Sheet cakes are a favorite around here for their no-fuss decoration and simple serving. There’s no leveling, crumb coating, or piping required today!
I think you’re gong to adore this zucchini cake! A sister to my banana cake and carrot cake recipe, it’s similarly simple yet delectable with a moist, tender texture and brilliant flavor.
What You Need
Zucchini. There’s no need to peel your zucchini before grating it. You will, however, need to blot the zucchini with paper towels after grating it, as it is a bit too wet otherwise. If you are using a scale, make sure you weigh it before blotting it. Brown sugar. I prefer dark brown sugar in this cake. Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light brown, so it imparts a stronger flavor that accents the cake nicely. You can light brown sugar if that’s all you have on hand though–don’t let that stop you from making this cake! Sour cream. Similar to buttermilk, sour cream adds fat and richness to our zucchini cake. You’ll notice that this cake is incredibly moist and tender, and you can thank the sour cream for that! You could alternatively use full-fat, plain Greek yogurt. Vanilla. This flavors our cake and our cream cheese frosting. Feel free to use homemade vanilla extract here–yum! Cream cheese. As with my cheesecake, I recommend using brick-style, full-fat cream cheese for the frosting. I cannot guarantee good results with the spreadable or low-fat versions–they tend to be too soft and runny.
SAM’S TIP: If you’d like, you can top your zucchini cake with some chopped toasted pecans or walnuts. These add a nice texture, and they pairs well with the brown sugar in the cake. As always, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Zucchini Cake
Prep the Zucchini
Make the Cake
Frosting
SAM’S TIP: This cake should be incredibly moist. If yours isn’t, there’s a very good chance that it was over-baked. Every oven is different (and many run hotter than they indicate), so know your oven and keep an eye on your cake. If you are in the thick of zucchini season, try my zucchini muffins or zucchini roll next! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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