Do you have a bunch of fresh zucchini from your garden or the farmer’s market that you’re wondering what to do with? Whip up some zucchini cake–it’s one of the best zucchini dessert recipes! 

What to Do with Zucchini

Every year around this time I start to accumulate a ton of fresh zucchini from my garden, my friends’ gardens, and the farmer’s market. One of my family’s favorite recipes with zucchini is zucchini cake, with zucchini bread, and zucchini parmesan chips being a close second and third! 

How to Make Zucchini Cake

You really can’t go wrong with a baked zucchini recipe–it’s so easy and yummy!

Serves 16-20
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups zucchini, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon salt
• A teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• A teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Next, spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, and then lightly dust with flour.

3. Grate zucchini, and then set aside.

4. Then, in a large bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla extract, oil, and eggs.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

6. Next, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and then mix, until smooth.

7. Stir in zucchini and nuts, if using.

8. Then, pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven to cooling rack.
11. Cool completely.

How Do I Make Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting?

1. In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, and beat until smooth.
2. Then, add in butter, and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing in between each addition.
4. Beat until smooth.
5. Next, beat in vanilla extract, until smooth.
6. Spread frosting onto the cake with an offset spatula (you may have some frosting leftover–so grab a spoon and enjoy!).
7. Serve immediately, or store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: 16-20

Zucchini Cake Recipe

Print

Do you have a bunch of zucchini to use up from your garden? Make a yummy zucchini cake!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

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:
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.
3. Grate zucchini, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, stir together sugar, vanilla extract, oil and eggs.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
7. Stir in zucchini and nuts if using.
8. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven to cooling rack.
11. Cool completely.
12. To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl add cream cheese, and beat until smooth.
13. Add in butter, and beat until smooth and creamy.
14. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing in between each addition, and beat until smooth.
15. Beat in vanilla extract until smooth.

Baking Fun for the Whole Family 

• Halloween will be here before you know it! Kids will love to help make mummy and bat cake pops! 
• Candy loaded campfire brownies will be the hit of your next camping trip! 
• Scream cheese brownies and Oreo cookie pops pair nicely with hot cocoa! 
• These five ingredient s’mores bars are all the yumminess of s’mores with less mess! 
• Mug cakes are my favorite solution when I want to bake something yummy, but I’m short on time. 
• Can you tell we are super excited about Halloween and all of the spooky sweet treats we can celebrate with?!
• If you’re craving Samoas once Girl Scout cookie season is over, whip up a batch of these delicious Samoas style butter cookie bars! 
• Ready for pumpkin spice all the things?! Check out these 50+ pumpkin recipes! 

Which is your favorite–zucchini cake or zucchini bread?