Zucchini Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This zucchini layer cake is sweetly spiced and iced with a decadent cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect summer or anytime dessert that hides a fresh veggie in the batter. Your friends and family will rave about this deliciously moist cake!

If you have an abundance of zucchini from your garden or farmer’s market haul, this zucchini cake is just the thing to bake. If you’re a fan of carrot cake, this recipe is very similar, except it uses shredded zucchini – and lots of it! It’s easy to make and the end result is a mouth-watering layer cake that’s iced with a buttercream frosting and garnished with chopped pecans. What’s not to love?

Why bake with zucchini?

If you’ve cooked with zucchini then you know that it’s a water-based vegetable, meaning that it contains and gives off water. This is a bonus when baking with this popular veggie because it will keep your baked goods moist and delicious.

Zucchini is also very mild in taste, meaning that it can take on the flavors of whatever spices you add to the batter. It’s like a supporting character in a movie – you need it to move the story along but it’s not the main star of the show.

What ingredients do I need to make this zucchini cake?

Here’s your handy shopping list of ingredients for the cake batter:

• 5 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• spray oil
• For the frosting you’ll need the following:
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

How do I make the cake?

Begin by grating 5 cups of zucchini and chopping 1 cup of pecans. Set aside.

Prep two 9″ baking pans with spray oil and flour to prevent sticking.

Preheat your oven to 370 degrees Fahrenheit

In a large bowl, mix together, eggs, sugar, and oil. Add in cinnamon, salt, baking soda, zucchini, and pecans.

Carefully blend in 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, and mix until combined.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans.

Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-45 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. It’s done when it comes out clean.

Remove cake pans from the oven and set them on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes.

Use a knife to slide around the edges of the cake pans to loosen. Carefully tilt the pans upside down with a hand under each to catch the cake and place each on a flat surface.

How do I make the cream cheese frosting?

Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer to blend the frosting.

Mix the butter and cream cheese together with the vanilla extract until creamy.

Add in, one cup at a time, the powdered sugar and blend on slow speed until incorporated.

Continue beating the frosting and increase the speed to medium-high until the frosting is smooth.

How do I frost the cake?

Place the cake layers on a flat surface and use a large bread knife to cut the very top layer off of one cake until it has an even and flat surface.

Frost the top of the cake you just cut using a frosting piping tool. This will be the middle frosting layer. Use about 1/3 of the frosting for this.

Place the uncut piece of cake on top of the frosted layer. Use a frosting spatula to smooth a thin layer of frosting all around the cake and on top of the cake

Garnish the top of the cake with finely chopped pecans.

Tips for making the perfect buttercream frosting

• Make sure your butter and cream cheese are softened at room temperature. This way, they will combine evenly and fluff up without clumps.

• Use the whisk attachment on your stand mixture instead of the paddle. The whisk will allow air into the frosting to help it become light and fluffy.

• Don’t skimp on the powdered sugar just because it seems like it’s a lot. The sugar is what helps the butter and cream cheese retain its shape and texture. Without it, you would just have a runny mess of butter and cream cheese goo.

How to store this amazing zucchini cake

This delectable zucchini layer cake should be stored in the refrigerator after it’s been baked and frosted. The frosting is made from butter and cream cheese and will not do well sitting on the counter, so keep it cold. If you have a cake dome or carrier, just pop it in that and set it in the fridge. The cake will keep for up to 4 days.

Can I freeze this zucchini cake?

You can freeze the unfrosted layers of the baked cake. Just bake the layers and let them cool completely before wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the layers completely before frosting.

More tips for this zucchini cake

You can turn this zucchini layer cake into a showstopper with its fluffy cream cheese and butter frosting. You can add the chopped pecans to not just the top of the cake, but also press them into the frosting on the sides of the cake. Beautiful!

Alternatively, you can use the naked icing approach on the sides of the cake and add a thin layer where the crusts of the cake sides show through.

Either way, this is a superb cake to make with summer’s most versatile veggie – the zucchini. Your family and friends will definitely be going back for seconds with this zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting!

More Zucchini Recipes

Low Carb Zucchini Spirals And Mini-Meatballs

Lemon Zucchini Cake

Low Fat Zucchini Brownies

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Bread

Noodle Free Lasagna With Zucchini

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her very popular website Moore or Less Cooking

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #mooreorlesscooking so I can see all the wonderful recipes that YOU make from this site!