Zucchini Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
If you’re looking for the perfect way to use up garden zucchini, this Easy Home Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is it. Inspired by the warm flavors of carrot cake and the soft texture of banana cake, this zucchini cake recipe is moist, lightly spiced, and topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting you’ll want to eat by the spoonful. It’s a great recipe for late summer when there’s too much zucchini, but honestly, it’s delicious any time of year. Whether you serve it as a layer cake, sheet cake, or even bake it in a bundt pan, it’s a simple cake that always impresses. Grab your box grater and let’s turn that shredded zucchini into a delicious cake everyone will love.
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Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini – Adds extra moisture and tenderness to the cake without a strong vegetable flavor.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps create a soft crumb.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor and pairs well with the spices.
- Vegetable or canola oil – Keeps the cake moist and tender.
- Large eggs – Help bind the ingredients and provide structure.
- All-purpose flour – The base of the dry ingredients and structure for the cake batter.
- Baking soda – Provides rise and helps the cake bake evenly.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – Classic spices that add warmth and depth.
- Chopped walnuts – Add crunch and nutty flavor, but completely optional.
- Cream cheese – The main ingredient for a tangy, creamy frosting.
- Unsalted butter – Adds richness and structure to the frosting.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
Yes! Just be sure to grease and flour the pan well. For a layer cake, divide the batter between two 8-inch cake pans and reduce baking time slightly.
Yes, the cooled cake (frosted or unfrosted) can be wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and frozen for up to 2 months.
Definitely! Reduce bake time to 20–25 minutes for muffins, or bake as a zucchini loaf for 45–55 minutes.
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Zucchini Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. Grate zucchini, set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Stir in zucchini and nuts if using.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven to cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Now lets make the frosting! In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Add in butter, and beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing in between each addition. Beat in vanilla extract until smooth. Spread frosting onto cake with an offset spatula (you may have some frosting leftover). Serve immediately or store in airtight container in refrigerator.
Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini finely grated
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup walnuts chopped, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.
- Grate zucchini, set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs .
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Stir in zucchini and nuts if using.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean
- Remove from oven to cooling rack. Cool completely
- Now lets make the frosting! In a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, and beat until smooth. Add in butter, and beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing in between each addition. Beat in vanilla extract until smooth.
- Spread frosting onto cake with an offset spatula (you may have some frosting leftover)
- Serve immediately or store in airtight container in refrigerator
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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