Zucchini for the win! This is zucchini cake, and it’s every bit as flavorful as zucchini bread, as soft as zucchini muffins, and just about as magically moist as chocolate zucchini cake. Every cinnamon-kissed bite is nestled under a blanket of brown butter cream cheese frosting. Today’s cake and frosting combo is pure perfection, and everyone will be begging to have greens for dessert!
One reader, Monica, commented: “This is the best zucchini recipe I’ve ever made. It was extremely easy to put together, and what a hit! I brought it to work a month ago, and my colleagues regularly bring it up. ‘Remember when you made that cake? It was so good!’ I will absolutely make this time and again. Even my boss, who does not eat dessert, had a small piece and said it was delicious. ★★★★★”
I know vegetables in cake can raise some eyebrows, but keep an open mind. You’ve heard of carrot cake, right? Zucchini is loaded with moisture, and adds a ton of volume without much flavor at all. Think of it as applesauce or banana, but with less flavor. It acts as a wet ingredient, and pairs wonderfully with everything from cinnamon and nutmeg to chocolate and citrus. I love baking with zucchini, so it’s no surprise I’ve amassed quite a lineup of favorite zucchini recipes over the years. (See this incredibly tasty peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread as further proof!)
Today I’m sharing a simple sheet cake recipe with plenty of spice flavor, notes of brown sugar, and kisses of sweet vanilla. It’s simple, yet impressive. Taste testers (kids and adults!) couldn’t get enough. We all LOVED this cake.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Cake, Too:
- Great for beginners—no complicated decorating or assembly required
- Batter comes together in 5 minutes
- Extra moist and flavorful
- Uses up a bountiful summer vegetable
- Sheet cakes are easy to slice, serve, and transport
- Brown butter cream cheese frosting… need I say more?
Sheet Cakes Rule All
Sheet cakes are renowned for being easier than layer cakes—no leveling off cake layers, no fancy decorating tools, no assembly whatsoever. Slicing and serving is a breeze, and you’ll appreciate that this zucchini cake can feed a crowd, but is still completely manageable to make. It’s one of the easiest desserts to transport, too!
Some popular sheet cakes include banana cake, apple cake, spice cake, and pumpkin cake.
Favorite Pan: I really like to bake quarter sheet cakes in a glass 9×13-inch pan or this metal pan that comes with a lid. The lid is super convenient for storing & transporting.
Key Ingredients You Need
For today’s cake, grab some of the same ingredients you’d use for zucchini bread. The cake is actually a dairy-free recipe if you skip the frosting. (And you can keep it dairy free by adding a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top for garnish.)
Grab these ingredients:
Success Tip: Shredding Zucchini
The cake batter comes together in just 5 minutes with simple kitchen tools including a couple bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. You also need a grater to shred the zucchini. If you’re looking for recommendations, I own and love this box grater because it’s easy to use, grates quickly, and has held up well with regular use. It’s what I use when making zucchini fritters, apple zucchini bread, and chocolate zucchini bread, too.
- How much zucchini do I need? Zucchini can vary greatly in size, but 1-2 medium zucchinis are plenty for this recipe. You need 1 and 3/4 cups shredded, which is about 210g.
- Pro Tip: Shred extra so you can make a batch of zucchini cookies. Or savory zucchini biscuits for dinner!
Here’s How to Make Zucchini Cake
Whisk together the dry ingredients, whisk together the wet ingredients, combine the two, and then fold in the zucchini. That’s it… the cake batter is done. What a complicated recipe! 😉
Zucchini acts as a wet ingredient in baking. It doesn’t necessarily replace a fat like oil or a binding ingredient like eggs, but it does add moisture and volume.
Use a box grater like this one. Rinse the zucchini and pat dry. Slice off the bottom end, and place the grater on or over a cutting board. Holding the stem end, run the zucchini on the box grater’s coarse grating side (the largest holes) until you get down to the stem.
You can peel zucchini before using in baking, but you don’t have to. (I don’t!) There’s no taste or texture variance either way, but you’ll have flecks of green throughout the cake if you keep the peel on.
Usually, no. You want that extra moisture in baked goods, so do not blot the shredded zucchini before using in baking. If making a savory dish like zucchini casserole or zucchini fritters, however, draining excess liquid is key. It all depends on what you’re making, and if moisture is your friend or foe!
Try Zucchini Cake With Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
AKA THE BEST FROSTING TO EVER HIT YOUR LIPS.
Have you ever browned butter to make cream cheese frosting before? Because once you do, you’ll never go back. You have all of the tangy creaminess from cream cheese frosting, and the nutty, caramelized flavor from brown butter on top of it. I don’t overload the frosting with sugar, either—just enough to bulk it up without masking the brown butter flavor.
After you brown the butter on the stove, refrigerate it until it’s cool and solidified. (You can do this as the cake bakes or cools.) Then cream it with the cream cheese to make the base of the frosting. It’s pretty easy and I have an entire How to Brown Butter tutorial if you need some extra help.
Look at all of those brown butter flecks. F-L-A-V-O-R.
There’s no assembly required, which is my favorite part about serving one-layer cakes. Here are all of my single-layer cakes if you’re in the mood to browse more!
Here are some other ways you can use this zucchini cake batter:
Other Cake Sizes
- Bundt Cake: This cake batter will fit into a greased 10-cup or larger Bundt pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55–70 minutes. The baking time varies depending on your oven; keep your eye on the cake after 55 minutes. Feel free to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top.
- Layer Cake: Grease three 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Divide batter between the three round cake pans. Bake for around 26–32 minutes, depending on which size pan you used. Use the brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe/ratios from this banana layer cake so you have enough.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19–21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen.
Easy Zucchini Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 48 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy zucchini cake comes together quickly. You’ll love the cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla flavors paired with the stick-to-the-back-of-your-fork moist texture. Enjoy it with lusciously smooth brown butter cream cheese frosting, or you can opt for a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar instead.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups (210g) shredded zucchini (no need to blot)
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 slices
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini until combined.
- Pour and spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on it. Around the 30-minute mark, loosely tent with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
- Brown the butter: Set out a medium heatproof bowl because you’ll need it at the end of this step. Place the sliced butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan. A light-colored interior is crucial for determining when the butter begins to brown. Melt the butter over medium heat and stir or whisk constantly. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Continue stirring/whisking, keeping a close eye on it. After about 5–7 minutes, the butter will begin browning and you’ll notice lightly browned specks forming at the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a nutty aroma. The color will gradually deepen, from yellow to golden to golden-brown; once it’s a light caramel-brown color, remove from heat immediately and pour into the bowl, including any brown solids that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely and solidify.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the solidified brown butter on high speed until creamy and smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth and combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
- Slice and serve.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 5. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before serving. Continue with step 6.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Box Grater | 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Light-Colored Skillet | Silicone Whisk | Icing Spatula
- Quarter Sheet Pan: I really like to bake quarter sheet cakes in a glass 9×13-inch pan or this metal pan that comes with a lid.
- Can I replace or reduce the oil? Vegetable oil is the best option for this cake. You can replace with a neutral-flavored oil such as avocado oil or canola oil. Feel free to use melted refined coconut oil (refined doesn’t have much of a coconut flavor) and make sure every other ingredient in the cake batter is room temperature, so the oil doesn’t solidify. Do not replace with melted butter because the cake will taste dry. You can replace a small amount of the oil with applesauce if needed, but keep in mind that the cake will begin to taste dry/rubbery the more oil you replace.
- Applesauce: It’s best to use unsweetened applesauce in this recipe—you need a wet ingredient that won’t overpower the other flavors in the cake. Feel free to use mashed banana or canned crushed pineapple instead, but keep in mind that the flavor of the cake will change.
- Brown Butter: For more information and troubleshooting, see this post on how to brown butter.
- Layer Cake: Grease three 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. Divide batter between the three round cake pans. Bake for about 26–32 minutes, depending on which size pan you used. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Use the brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe/ratios from this banana layer cake so you have enough.
- Bundt Cake: This cake batter will fit into a greased 10-cup or larger Bundt pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55–70 minutes. The baking time varies depending on your oven; keep your eye on the cake after 55 minutes. Feel free to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top. Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack, then invert onto a serving plate once cooled and ready to serve.
- Cupcakes: Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19–21 minutes. Yields about 3 dozen.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Wow! This is absolutely one of the BEST cakes i’ve ever made ! Tender, moist, delicious ! Did a couple tweaks — since i’m not a nutmeg fan, decreased the nutmeg and added a couple teaspoons of mace. Also did my own version of cream-cheese/butter frosting. Thanks for posting such a wonderful treat !!
I was disappointed in this cake. The batter was VERY wet, which was no surprise considering that it had large amounts oil AND applesauce, and FOUR eggs, not to mention the zucchini. Now that I’ve tried it and compared it to other highly rated zucchini cake recipes, it seems to me that this quantity of wet ingredients was not necessary. The cake is very dense and heavy although it appeared to bake beautifully. It also has less flavor than I would have liked; it’s rather bland. Also it is very sweet due to the large quantity of sugar. I won’t be making this again.
I’ve made many zucchini in the past, but this was by far the best ever! The brown butter, cream cheese frosting brought it to a new level. I did, however, substitute the applesauce for a can of drained, crushed pineapple and added walnuts. My family literally devoured the entire cake. Thank you, Sally, for always giving us the best recipes!
Delicious! I added walnuts and raisins, and used 1/2 gluten-free flour for a low-gluten cake. It turned out delicious! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Great recipe! I have made so many of your recipes and just like the rest this one was delicious. Quick and easy dessert that everyone soon enjoy!
Really good cake!! We really like the browned butter frosting too. I used lactose free cream cheese and it worked fine. I also decreased the amount of both brown and white sugars. It was plenty sweet! Thanks for the recipe
Regarding you zucchini cake recipe: are walnuts or rasins a good additive?
Definitely!
I would like to make these into cupcakes. Would the recipe for the brown butter frosting in the banana layer cake recipe be the right amount?
Hi Caroline, the recipe as is will be enough for a thin swipe of frosting, otherwise if you’d like to generously frost the cupcakes, we’d recommend the ratios from the banana cake. Hope you enjoy them!
Made this for my family and they LOVED it! We didn’t even put icing or sugar on top and it was a perfect afternoon snack. I felt like I tasted the baking powder and baking soda a bit so I’m wondering how much I might be able to lessen those, if at all? Either way I was told I must make this again so thank you for the recipe!
Hi N Laura, usually if you can taste the baking soda/powder, that means one of them may be going bad. We would start with fresh!
I didn’t know that! Thank you so much!
Can I make the frosting with only a hand held mixer?
Hi Berenice, yes, you can!
Going to try and make this but the timing on the recipe confuses me. The prep time says 35 minutes and cook time is 48 minutes but the total time is over 4 hours. Where does this extra time come from? Does the cake have to refrigerate before serving? I couldn’t find anywhere in the recipe that could explain that time difference.
Hi Rachael, the total time includes cooling the cake before you can add the frosting. Happy baking!
Could I bake this in a Bundt pan?
Hi Blischka, yes, this cake will work well in a Bundt pan. See section “Other Cake Sizes” for details. Enjoy!
Great recipe – very moist cake and the icing is amazing!
Oh my goodness gracious! I used regular cinnamon applesauce with sugar in it because that’s all I had in the house and I added extra cinnamon and nutmeg because I wanted it to taste like spice cake. That’s the only thing I changed and this is by far the best zucchini anything I’ve ever had! I also used my overgrown yellow summer zucchini I just made sure I took the seeds out. And again, wow, wow, wow!
I was disappointed in this cake. On the plus side, it rose beautifully during baking and it was very moist. However, it was very dense and really didn’t have much flavor. More cinnamon and nutmeg would have helped, and I think adding another ingredient like nuts or raisins would help with the texture
This is the best zucchini recipe I’ve ever made. It was extremely easy to put together, and what a hit! I brought it to work a month ago and my colleagues regularly bring up “remember when you made that cake? It was so good!” I will absolutely make this time and again. Even my boss who does not eat dessert had a small piece and said it was delicious.
I made this GF, I used homemade Pear sauce instead of applesauce and I cut the sugar in half, added 1/2 cup applesauce to cut oil in half and used 2 cups of finely shredded zucchini. The browned butter cream cheese frosting took it over the top! I shared with 4 of the neighbors and one neighbor brought me more zucchini to make another cake for just him.
This sounds amazing and I’m hoping to make it for a fall work party. Do you have any suggestions for decorations on top?
Hi Diana! Pretty sprinkles can make a sheet cake look quite lovely (like we did with our yellow sheet cake). Some piped buttercream flowers are always a beautiful addition to sheet cakes as well. Hope it’s a hit!
Delicious!! I reduced both sugars by half and I cannot imagine it being any sweeter. Moist and very flavourful.
Can I use yellow zucchini for this recipe?
Absolutely!
I’m getting ready to try this recipe. Do you recommend any changes for high altitude? We’re at around six thousand feet here.
We wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I made this last week. Half the pan went to hubby’s work (gone in half a day). Half was for my house of 2 1/2 people. Gone in 3 days. Tomorrow I’m making again but I’m gonna add a little carrot since this particular garden zucchini isn’t as large. I can’t wait. Hubby wants me to make it a layer cake. The icing is PERFECT. Perfect. It’s not too sweet at all.
I made it with a total of 2 cups veggies. 1 1/2 cups zuke 1/2 cup carrot. Turned out awesome!
Deliciousness in every bite! Since I am an icing fanatic, next time I’ll double the icing recipe!!
This is such a nice cake! It came together very easily, and kept well for a couple of days. It’s a very well-balanced cake, like a lighter spice cake, perfect for summer. I used homemade unsweetened applesauce with no problems.
Can I use frozen zucchini in this recipe?
Hi Jennie, you can use frozen zucchini. Thaw, then squeeze out most of the excess liquid.
This is delicious! The browned butter cream cheese icing is everything!
Has anyone tried this in a loaf pan? I had a birthday request for zucchini loaf with cream cheese icing. Maybe the best bet is to make the zucchini loaf and use the brown butter cream cheese icing here.
Hi Sue! Yes, we would use our zucchini bread recipe with cream cheese frosting – here’s a recipe for the perfect amount of cream cheese icing.
Best cake ever!!! Thank you, my family loved it.
I had an abundance of zucchini in my garden and this recipe is absolutely perfect. Sooo incredibly tasty. Thanks again for the best recipes.
I have some leftover canned crushed pineapple, can I use this instead of the applesauce? Do I use the same amount of of pineapple as the applesauce?
Hi Corinne, It’s best to use unsweetened applesauce in this recipe—you need a wet ingredient that won’t overpower the other flavors in the cake. Feel free to use mashed banana or canned crushed pineapple instead, but keep in mind that the flavor of the cake will change. Hope you enjoy it!