Should I peel the zucchini for baking?

There’s no need to peel the zucchini before shredding it. The skin on the zucchini is thin enough that it will blend into the batter without peeling first.

How do you store zucchini cake?

We recommend storing this zucchini cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days due to the cream cheese in the frosting.

Do I need to drain the zucchini before using it in zucchini cake?

For this recipe, there’s no need to drain the zucchini after it’s been shredded. The extra moisture in the zucchini helps keep the cake nice and moist.

What does zucchini replace in baking?

Zucchini doesn't exactly replace an ingredient the way applesauce might replace fat. Instead, zucchini adds moisture and volume to baked goods, turning them more tender and fluffy.

Zucchini Cake Recipe

Southern Living Zucchini Cake sliced on plates to serve — Photo:
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 10 mins

Servings:

Zucchini cake is the perfect dessert to make those times when you have more zucchini than you know what to do with. Sure, we may love zucchini boats, zucchini fries, and zucchini lasagna, but nothing quite beats a tender, lightly-spiced zucchini cake studded with pecans.

Our super easy zucchini cake is also topped with a soft, easy-to-spread cream cheese frosting. It's the perfect sweet for tea parties, showers, or just a late-summer afternoon.

Learn how to make zucchini cake, and rediscover one of the best desserts with a surprise ingredient that really turns basic cake into something special.

Ingredients in Zucchini Cake

Classic baking ingredients are needed for the cake, and fresh zucchini is obviously needed. You can also reach for some optional mix-ins. Here's what you should grab from the fridge and pantry:

Flour: This creates a tender, delicate cake.
Baking powder and baking soda: Using a combination of baking powder and baking soda makes the cake nice and fluffy. It gives the batter rise while it's baking.
Table salt: Salt helps balance all the other flavors but won't overpower the sweetness.
Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice: Using a blend of spices adds complexity to the flavor of the cake.
Eggs: You'll need three. They bring the batter together and provide structure in the baked cake.
Vegetable oil: Using vegetable oil in the cake makes it easy to mix by hand. It also helps the cake stay more moist once baked.
Light brown sugar and granulated sugar: Both types of sugar provide a well-rounded sweetness.
Vanilla extract: This essential baking ingredient elevates all the other flavors in the cake.
Finely grated zucchini: Grating the zucchini on the small holes of the box grater helps it blend in to the cake batter evenly
Chopped pecans or golden raisins: Adding mix-ins to the cake is optional but highly recommended.
Along with cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar for the frosting.

Southern Living Zucchini Cake ingredients — Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Zucchini Cake

Zucchini cake is easy to mix together. Here's a brief recap, and the full recipe is furher below:

Step 1: Combine ingredients. First, whisk the dry ingredients together.
Step 2: Make wet mixture. Next, whisk together the wet ingredients (plus the sugar) until smooth, then stir in the shredded zucchini.
Step 3: Finish batter. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture, and then stir in chopped pecans, if using.
Step 4: Add to pan. Pour batter into a 13- x 9-in. pan that has been greased with baking spray with flour. Alternatively, you can grease the pan and line it with parchment paper.
Step 5: Bake the cake. Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Step 6: Frost the cake. Be sure to let the cake cool fully before adding the frosting.

How To Store Zucchini Cake

If you're not serving right away, zucchini cake should be kept covered and stored in the refrigerator for maximum freshness. Leftover zucchini cake will last up to five days, but it should be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.

Bake in a Bundt

As an alternative, zucchini cake may also be baked in a Bundt pan. Prepare the batter as directed through step 3, and bake at 350°F 48-52 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

To prepare frosting, beat 4 oz. softened cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. softened butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and combined. Add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Add 1-2 Tbsp. milk or half and half; just enough to make the icing thick but pourable. Pour over cake in a thick layer.

Can You Freeze Zucchini Cake?

You can freeze zucchini cake, and you can freeze it with the icing if you want. However, for the best result once it's thawed, we recommend you freeze the zucchini cake whole and without the frosting. Then, you can thaw it overnight in the fridge and finish the frosting just before serving.

Our Best Tips for Great Zucchini Cake

This cake is so easy, it's great for a beginner baker, one that's just learning the routine of baking. But even experienced bakers will find these tips helpful:

Be grate: Be sure to use the small holes on your box grater to shred the zucchini; it helps the zucchini blend into the batter better.
Wait a minute: Make sure the cake is fully cooled before you add the frosting. Otherwise, the frosting may melt and run off the cake.
Warm up: Softened cream cheese and butter will blend better when you're making the cream cheese frosting.

More Sweet Zucchini Recipes

If you have more zucchini to use, consider these recipes next:

Ingredients

Cake:

Baking spray with flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups finely grated zucchini (from 2-3 medium)
1 cup chopped pecans or golden raisins (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (2 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. table salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Prepare oven and cake pan:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13- x 9-in. pan with baking spray with flour.
Whisk together dry ingredients:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Mix batter:

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Stir in grated zucchini.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Stir in flour mixture until evenly combined, but do not overmix.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Stir in chopped pecans, if using.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Bake cake:

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the center springs back lightly when touched.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, about 2-3 hours.
Prepare frosting:

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Finish cake:

Spread frosting onto cooled cake. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator.

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I peel the zucchini for baking?

There’s no need to peel the zucchini before shredding it. The skin on the zucchini is thin enough that it will blend into the batter without peeling first.
How do you store zucchini cake?

We recommend storing this zucchini cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to five days due to the cream cheese in the frosting.
Do I need to drain the zucchini before using it in zucchini cake?

For this recipe, there’s no need to drain the zucchini after it’s been shredded. The extra moisture in the zucchini helps keep the cake nice and moist.
What does zucchini replace in baking?

Zucchini doesn't exactly replace an ingredient the way applesauce might replace fat. Instead, zucchini adds moisture and volume to baked goods, turning them more tender and fluffy.