Sweet dreams come true with this Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, my friends. The most ideal tiny snack cake, covered in a rich cream cheese icing and loaded with concealed vegetables and toasty spices. Do you enjoy recipes that call for zucchini or want to use up some garden zucchini? Your name is calling to this cake!
For any occasion, but especially for special occasions and/or holidays, I enjoy baking. With Spring officially here, I’m in my element when it comes to baking. I’m working on some very amazing new sweet delights that I can’t wait to share with you. Let’s start with this zucchini cake. And it’s the perfect little treat to add to your menu if you celebrate Easter. It’s my most recent fixation.
Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Oh my goodness, this new dish right here is the most recent in a long line of sweets on the site that bring me to tears. Friends, check out this delicious zucchini cake! It is very moist, flavored with warm spices like cardamom and cinnamon, loaded with delicious zucchini, and covered in a light, fluffy cream cheese frosting. You may serve it as a substantial dessert or have it with a warm cup of tea or coffee. It has that “snacking cake” feel to it. ⇐ Zesty zucchini cake—the finest ever!
What You’ll Need To Make This Spiced Zucchini Cake Recipe
- I use all-purpose flour, which is a conventional flour. Please be aware that this recipe has only been tested using gluten-free 1:1 baking flour; other flour types have not been tested.
- The preferred leavening agent in this case is baking soda.
- Warm spices: Cardamom and ground cinnamon give such a lovely, warm richness.
- Salt: To assist in bringing all the tastes together.
- Eggs: When it comes to structure and texture, eggs deliver both in baking.
- Coconut oil: I adore making this cake with melted coconut oil. You can, however, use vegetable oil or any other flavorless oil of your choosing.
- Coconut sugar: This cake’s natural sweetness comes from the coconut sugar, which gives the dish a sing-along, feel-good quality. But brown sugar that has been packaged will also come in handy!
- Pure maple syrup adds even more delicious taste and moisture to this cake, making it another flavor explosion.
- Vanilla extract: A staple flavoring in baking, indeed.
- Milk: I use whole milk for overall cake texture and consistency. Use 2% milk or other milks such as oat and almond milk.
- Zucchini: The main attraction, indeed! I adore this iconic summer squash because it gives baked products a ton of moisture and fiber. It’s in the cake, and you hardly even notice it, ha! 🤣
- Pecans or walnuts both provide a pleasant, subtle crunch to the texture.
- Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and a small teaspoon of salt are needed to make the frosting. But this frosting—so light and delicious!
Recipe Highlights & Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Cake
- SIMPLE & EASY: There are no frills or complication involved at all in this recipe for spiced zucchini cake. Both the rich cream cheese icing and the zucchini cake batter come together quickly.
- MMM MOIST CAKE: This cake has a ton of ingredients that come together to create an incredibly moist cake. Together, the eggs, oil, milk, maple syrup, and zucchini create a deliciously moist and fluffy cake that bakes up nicely.
- HIDDEN GOODNESS: You read correctly—zucchini has a wealth of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Its high-fiber content is the main attraction, as you can see above. Furthermore, you really don’t even know that zucchini is baked into this cake if you detest the vegetable or are simply side-eyeing it.
- COZY, INTIMATE DESSERT: This adorable little spiced zucchini cake is perfect for a smaller gathering since it fits neatly into a 9 by 9-inch baking sheet. It’s the ideal scenario for a cake that comfortably feeds a small group of people, satisfying sweet teeth.
How To Make This Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Set oven temperature to 350°F. Apply a thin layer of nonstick baking spray to a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan. After that, spray once more and line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a small overhang on the sides. Grate the zucchini with a box grater to prepare it. After that, wrap the shredded zucchini in cheesecloth or paper towel to remove any remaining moisture.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. After thoroughly mixing the dry ingredients, set them aside. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to a large bowl. The wet components should be well mixed by whisking them carefully. Mix in the flour mixture just until it’s well mixed. Just blend the cake batter by folding in the walnuts and grated zucchini. Then, transfer the cake mixture onto the baking pan that has been ready, smoothing the surface if necessary.
- A toothpick put into the center of the cake should come out clean after 30 minutes of baking. Give the cake fifteen minutes to cool in the pan. After that, transfer the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling. Allow cake to cool fully before icing.
Finishing This Zucchini Cake
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese for approximately two minutes, or until light and fluffy, in a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Next, add the salt and vanilla bean paste (or extract), and beat again until well blended. When the frosting is creamy and thoroughly blended, add the powdered sugar and beat again.
- After the cake has cooled, cover it with the cream cheese frosting. If desired, top the cake with more chopped pecans or walnuts. Proceed to cut the spiced zucchini cake into wedges and serve right away. Have fun!
Tips + Tricks, FAQs & More
You could have further inquiries concerning this recipe for zucchini cake. As with other recipes, my advice is to follow the directions exactly as they are listed in the recipe card that is directly below. However, the following additional information may be useful to you:
- Baking zucchini: This vegetable contains a lot of water. For your cake to have the proper texture, you must squeeze out any extra moisture. Grate the zucchini and wrap it in paper towels, pressing out as much moisture as possible (you may also do this using cheesecloth).
- Needs to avoid gluten? Replace the all-purpose flour with any gluten-free baking flour in a 1:1 ratio (Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour is our favorite!).
- Could I veganize this cake? I haven’t tried using flax eggs in place of eggs in this spicy zucchini cake. But it might work (check out my buddy Jessica’s recipe!). Of course, use vegan butter and vegan cream cheese for the icing as well as alternative milk in the cake batter. Tell me if you give it a shot. ♥
- Variations on zucchini cakes: Written as is, this cake is a delectable dreamboat. However, if you’d like, you can instead use shredded carrot in a 1:1 ratio in lieu of the zucchini to make a carrot cake (you don’t have to press the grated carrot).
How To Store This Spiced Zucchini Cake
This zucchini cake keeps well in the refrigerator for four to five days when kept in an airtight container (those cake domes are great!). You may store it for a day or two on the counter (covered to preserve freshness). This cake may be frozen with or without the icing!
Cover any remaining cake with plastic wrap before freezing. Next, fully wrap the cake in plastic wrap using foil. You may store it in the freezer for up to two months. After letting the cake defrost in the refrigerator for a full night, make sure it’s room temperature before frosting (only if the cake is unfrosted). Present!
More desserts & sweets you’ll enjoy:
- Mocha Chocolate Cream Pie
- Almond Cake
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Banana Nut Bread
- Croissant Breakfast Casserole
- Fudge-Striped Cookies
Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Sweet dreams come true with this Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, my friends. The most ideal tiny snack cake, covered in a rich cream cheese icing and loaded with concealed vegetables and toasty spices. Do you enjoy recipes that call for zucchini or want to use up some garden zucchini? Your name is calling to this cake!
Ingredients
For the zucchini cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or any neutral oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar or packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk of choice we use whole milk
- 1 medium zucchini shredded & then squeezed of excess moisture with a paper towel or cheesecloth (about 1 cup grated zucchini, packed)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, plus more for garnish
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces block-style full-fat cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Apply a thin layer of nonstick baking spray to a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan. After that, spray once more and line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a small overhang on the sides. This guarantees that the parchment paper sticks firmly to the pan and serves as a precautionary measure to avoid any sticking. After that, leave it aside.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. After thoroughly mixing the dry ingredients, set them aside. Add the eggs, oil, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to a large bowl. The wet components should be well mixed by whisking them carefully. Mix in the flour mixture just until it’s well mixed. Just blend the cake batter by folding in the walnuts and grated zucchini. After that, transfer the cake mixture into the baking pan that has been ready, and use an offset spatula to level the top as needed.
- A toothpick put into the center of the cake should come out clean after 30 minutes of baking. Give the cake fifteen minutes to cool in the pan. After that, transfer the cake to a wire rack to finish cooling. Allow cake to cool fully before icing.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese for approximately two minutes, or until light and fluffy, in a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Next, add the salt and vanilla bean paste (or extract), and beat again until well blended. When the frosting is creamy and thoroughly blended, add the powdered sugar and beat again.
- After the cake has cooled, cover it with the cream cheese frosting. If desired, top the cake with more chopped pecans or walnuts. Serve the spiced zucchini cake by slicing it into 9–12 wedges, or 16 wedges if you want a cute little snack cake. Have fun!
Notes
- Please read the blog article and notes accompanying the video lesson through to the end for the best chance of success with the recipe.
- Needs to avoid gluten? Replace the all-purpose flour with any gluten-free baking flour in a 1:1 ratio (Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour is our favorite!).
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.
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