Zucchini Walnut Cake

While many are familiar with the classic comfort of zucchini bread, its cousin, zucchini cake, remains a delightful but lesser-known delicacy. This zucchini cake recipe shines a spotlight on the humble summer squash, transforming it into a delectable zucchini dessert. Moist and tender, this cake is topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and cleverly incorporates the texture and natural sweetness of shredded zucchini into a surprisingly indulgent and nutritious treat.

Zucchini Cake Ingredients

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

• Zucchini: Shredded zucchini is the star of this recipe, providing moisture and a mild, earthy flavor. There’s no need to peel the zucchini first because you can grate it with the skin still on. 
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps achieve a moist and tender texture in this cake. It also aids in browning by giving the cake a golden crust.
• Canola oil: Oil is key to creating a light and moist cake, and canola oil has a neutral flavor that won’t overpower the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t have oil, use melted shortening or ghee.
• Eggs: For better blending, always bake with room-temperature eggs.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is the most common and versatile type of flour, and it’s perfect for providing structure to this cake recipe.
• Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder work together to ensure the cake rises properly, creating a light and fluffy texture.
• Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese to prevent a runny frosting. Our Test Kitchen pros picked Philadelphia as one of the best cream cheese brands.
• Butter: Make sure to soften your butter to create a fluffier frosting.
• Confectioners’ sugar: The fine, powdery texture of confectioners’ sugar blends seamlessly with cream cheese to give the frosting a sweet, velvety consistency.
• Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. You can toast the nuts for an even bolder flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-in. baking pan and set it aside. In a large bowl, beat the oil and eggs until well blended.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Step 3: Combine the wet and dry ingredients

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and stir until they’re combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to mix the batter thoroughly.

Step 4: Fold in the zucchini and nuts

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the shredded zucchini into the mixture until well-distributed. Then, fold in chopped walnuts, if desired. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a wet spatula to make a smoother glide.

Step 5: Bake and cool

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, around 35 to 40 minutes. 

Cool the cake at room temperature in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan to cool completely. 

Step 6: Make the cream cheese frosting

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Add enough milk to achieve a spreading consistency.

Once the cake fully cools, spread a heavy layer of frosting over the top, smoothing it out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with more chopped walnuts, if desired.

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

Zucchini Cake Variations

• Try it with chocolate: Add cocoa powder to the batter and include chocolate chips for a rich, decadent twist. (You could also try our recipe for Sue’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake).
• Use different add-ins: Toss in coconut flakes, crushed pecans, raisins, or diced dried fruits for added texture and flavor. 
• Make it fruity: Try mixing crushed pineapple into the batter for a tropical twist and added moisture

How to Store Zucchini Cake

Zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting should be stored in an airtight container or well-wrapped in storage wrap. Store this cake at room temperature for up to three days, in the fridge for up to six days, or in the freezer for up to three months.

Zucchini Cake Tips

Kristina Vänni for Taste of Home

What’s the best way to measure the zucchini in the recipe?

When you measure the zucchini, gently press it into a measuring cup for dry ingredients. It does not need to be squeezed dry—before or after measuring—like in other shredded zucchini recipes. That’s because the moisture from the zucchini helps hydrate the mixture. So you may notice that the batter is slightly dry before you add the zucchini. 

Can I make this zucchini cake gluten-free?

This zucchini cake’s dense texture adapts well to gluten-free baking. You can replace the regular flour in the recipe with an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Most store-bought mixes are convenient and generally designed to replace standard all-purpose flour one-to-one. If the blend contains xanthan gum, you may need to add a bit more liquid to the cake recipe. Also, your mix shouldn’t contain any rising agents—most gluten-free flour mixes do not.