Soft, cinnamon-spiced cake with a fork-tender crumb and the most luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting you've ever tasted, this zucchini cake recipe is the kind of thing you bake on a slow Sunday and end up eating three slices of before dinner. I first made it one fall when I had a pile of zucchini sitting on the counter and no idea what to do with them, and honestly, it's been my go-to ever since.
What I love most is that it comes together with ingredients you probably already have, and the batter takes maybe 10 minutes to mix up. If you want something a little lighter, skip the frosting and dust the top with confectioners' sugar. But if you want the full experience, that brown butter frosting is worth every minute. It reminds me of the same cozy fall energy as my Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies which my family always asks for around the same time of year.
Why You'll Love This Zucchini Cake
This Zucchini Cake is the kind of thing that surprises people. It's not fussy, it uses simple pantry staples, and it feeds 12 people from one pan with no layering or decorating stress. A few things that make it stand out:
- The shredded zucchini adds serious moisture without a trace of vegetable flavor.
- Applesauce replaces some of the fat, keeping the crumb tender and light.
- The brown butter cream cheese frosting is rich, nutty, and perfectly tangy.
- No mixer needed for the cake batter itself, just a whisk and two bowls.
Jump to:
Zucchini Cake Ingredients
Here's everything you need for both the Zucchini Cake and the frosting.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
For the Cake
- All-purpose flour: Forms the structure of the cake and keeps it from falling apart. Spooning and leveling the flour before measuring makes a real difference here.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both are needed to give this dense batter enough lift. Using both helps the cake rise tall and stay fluffy inside.
- Salt: Balances all the sweetness and makes the spices taste brighter.
- Ground cinnamon: Brings that warm, cozy depth that makes this cake smell incredible while it bakes. Two teaspoons gives it a noticeable but not overwhelming spice.
- Ground nutmeg: A small amount adds a quiet warmth underneath the cinnamon. Don't skip it.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the cake moist for days. Oil-based cakes stay softer longer than butter-based ones.
- Brown sugar: Packed light or dark brown sugar adds a subtle molasses flavor that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon.
- Granulated sugar: Balances sweetness and helps with the overall texture.
- Unsweetened applesauce: Adds moisture and a gentle natural sweetness. It also helps reduce how much oil is needed. Room temperature works best.
- Eggs: Bind everything together and add structure. Room temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the batter.
- Pure vanilla extract: Rounds out all the flavors and adds warmth.
- Shredded zucchini: The secret to this cake's incredible moisture. No need to blot or squeeze it out, the extra moisture is part of what makes this cake so tender.
For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Unsalted butter: Browned until golden and nutty before being used. This step is what makes the frosting unforgettable.
- Full-fat brick cream cheese: Softened to room temperature for a smooth, lump-free frosting. Use brick-style, not the spreadable tub kind.
- Confectioners' sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting to a spreadable consistency.
- Pure vanilla extract: Adds flavor depth to the frosting.
- Pinch of salt: Keeps the frosting from tasting too one-note.
How to Make This Zucchini Cake
Here's a short look at the steps before you dive in. Nothing complicated, I promise.
Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan well.
Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set it aside.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth and fully combined.
Combine: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Don't overmix. Fold in the shredded zucchini with a spatula until evenly distributed.
Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it out evenly. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. After 30 minutes, check for browning and loosely tent the pan with foil if the top is darkening too fast. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely: Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool all the way before frosting. This is not optional. Warm cake melts the frosting and you'll end up with a mess.
Brown the butter: In a light-colored skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and stir constantly. Keep going for 5 to 7 minutes until it turns golden brown with a nutty, toasty smell and small brown bits form at the bottom. Watch it closely, it goes from perfect to burned fast. Pour it, including the brown bits, into a heatproof bowl. Let it sit 10 minutes, then refrigerate until solidified.
Make the frosting: Beat the solidified brown butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the softened cream cheese and beat until smooth with no lumps. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low for 30 seconds to bring it together, then on high for 2 minutes until fluffy and spreadable.
Frost and serve: Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Slice and enjoy.
Substitutions
Vegetable oil: Melted coconut oil or canola oil works well.
Applesauce: Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt can be used in equal amounts.
Brown sugar: You can use all granulated sugar in a pinch, but the flavor won't have the same molasses depth.
Cream cheese: This is hard to substitute in the frosting if you want that tang, but mascarpone works as a milder option.
Frosting: If you want a lighter option, dust the cooled Zucchini Cake with confectioners' sugar and skip the frosting entirely.
Equipment For Zucchini Cake
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Light-colored skillet (important for seeing the butter browning)
- Heatproof bowl
- Handheld or stand mixer
- Wire rack
How to Store This Zucchini Cake
Counter: If your kitchen is cool, the frosted Zucchini Cake can sit covered at room temperature for up to one day.
Refrigerator: Because of the cream cheese frosting, store leftovers in the fridge, covered tightly, for up to 5 days. Let slices come to room temperature before eating for the best texture.
Freezer: You can freeze unfrosted cake slices wrapped tightly for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and frost before serving.
Ways to Serve It
This Zucchini Cake is already a full crowd-pleaser on its own, but here are a few ways to make it even better:
Serve a warm slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for a cozy after-dinner treat. The cold ice cream against the cinnamon cake is a really good combination.
Pair a slice with a hot mug of coffee or spiced tea in the afternoon. It's the kind of cake that just belongs next to a warm drink.
Bring it to a potluck or family gathering as a sheet cake, it feeds 12 without any fuss and travels well in the pan. If you love cozy fall-style treats, you might also enjoy my Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls and Mimosa Cupcakes for a fun dessert spread.
Expert Tips
Don't blot the zucchini. The extra moisture from the zucchini is what makes this cake so incredibly tender. Squeezing it out dries the cake.
Use room temperature eggs and applesauce. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to seize up slightly. Room temp everything mixes more smoothly.
Don't skip browning the butter. It adds a nutty, caramel-like depth to the frosting that regular melted butter simply can't give you. The 5 to 7 minutes is worth it every time.
Use a light-colored skillet. Dark pans make it almost impossible to see when the butter turns golden. A stainless or light-colored pan is the safest way to get it right.
Cool completely before frosting. I know it's hard to wait, but even slightly warm cake will melt the frosting right off.
Tent with foil at the 30-minute mark. This bakes for nearly 50 minutes, and the top can over-brown. Loosely covering it with foil halfway through protects the surface without slowing the bake.
FAQ
Do you peel zucchini for zucchini cake?
No, you don't need to. The skin is thin and soft, and once the zucchini is shredded and baked into the cake, you won't see or taste it. Skip the extra step and shred it with the peel on.
What is the 1234 cake rule?
The 1234 cake rule refers to a classic ratio used in simple butter cakes: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, and 4 eggs. This zucchini cake doesn't follow that formula, but it does use a similar layered approach to balancing wet and dry ingredients for an even, tender crumb.
What is the most healthy cake in the world?
There's no single answer to that, but cakes made with vegetables like zucchini or carrots, natural sweeteners, and less saturated fat tend to be lighter options. This zucchini cake uses applesauce in place of some oil and includes real vegetables, so it's on the lighter end for a dessert. A healthy zucchini cake version could skip the frosting and dust with powdered sugar instead.
What makes courgette cake so moist?
The zucchini, which is called courgette in the UK, releases moisture as it bakes, keeping the crumb soft and tender from the inside out. Combined with oil and applesauce, this Zucchini Cake stays moist for several days without drying out. That's the real secret to why zucchini dessert recipes have been so popular for decades.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Zucchini Cake
Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Gently fold in the shredded zucchini until evenly incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil around the 30-minute mark to prevent over-browning.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter foams, then begins to brown with a nutty aroma. Pour into a heatproof bowl, scraping up any browned solids, and let it cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to solidify.
- Once the brown butter has solidified, beat it in a large bowl with a mixer until smooth. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until fully combined and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low for 30 seconds, then on high for 2 minutes.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.
Leave a Reply