Zucchini cake is a moist, dense spice cake topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. Brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg give the cake its warm, comforting flavor, while grated zucchini creates an irresistibly tender crumb. With cream cheese icing on top, this cake is hard to resist. 
If you enjoy carrot cake, spice cake, or banana cake, you’ll love this zucchini cake. It’s full of warm spices and finished with classic cream cheese frosting for a dessert that’s homey, comforting, and delicious.
Why Use Zucchini in Baking?
Zucchini contributes wonderful moisture and a tender texture to baked goods because it’s mostly water. When grated and folded into batter, it breaks down during baking so you get a wonderfully soft crumb without noticeable pieces of vegetable—similar to how grated carrots behave in carrot cake. There’s no need to peel the zucchini; simply trim the ends and grate it.
Tips for Making Zucchini Cake
- Use a metal grater and hold the zucchini perpendicular to the grater to produce short strands that blend easily into the batter.
- Lightly blot the grated zucchini with a paper towel to remove excess moisture so the cake isn’t overly wet.
- Whisk the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves—together first to ensure even distribution.
- Beat the eggs until frothy before adding other wet ingredients; this aerates the batter and helps keep the texture light.
- Mix oil, brown sugar, and vanilla into the eggs. Oil adds tenderness and moisture while brown sugar adds depth of flavor.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients gradually, about half at a time. The batter will be thick—avoid overmixing.
- Gently fold in the grated zucchini and walnuts. If you prefer, omit the walnuts or substitute pecans; raisins are another optional add-in.
- Metal pans bake faster than glass, so check the cake as oven times can vary.
To convert this cake into cupcakes, reduce the baking time and monitor doneness closely.
This recipe can also be baked in two 8×8 or 9×9 square pans with a similar bake time.
More zucchini recipe ideas to try at home include zucchini chocolate chip bread, zucchini banana bread, and chocolate zucchini cake.
Zucchini Cake
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Ingredients
Zucchini Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable (or canola) oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated zucchini*
- 1 cup chopped walnuts**, optional
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz full‑fat brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Zucchini Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9×13-inch pan with at least 2-inch sides.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl.
- In another large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy.
- Beat in the oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in about two additions. Mix just until combined; do not overmix.
- Turn off the mixer and gently fold in the grated zucchini and chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 35–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened butter until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese and beat until combined and creamy.
- Mix in vanilla and salt.
- Add powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, beating until you reach the desired sweetness and consistency.
- Frost the cooled cake and, if desired, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.
Notes
**Pecans can be used instead of walnuts. You can also add 1/2 cup raisins if you like.
Make-ahead tips: Bake the cake up to 1 day in advance and store covered at room temperature; frost the day you plan to serve. Unfrosted cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months—thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before frosting. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for several hours or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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