Zucchini Spice cake made with fresh grated zucchini, flour, sugar, eggs & a delightful blend of cinnamon spice! Moist, flavorful sheet cake topped with an incredible brown butter icing and chopped pecans or walnuts.
If you’re looking for the best zucchini dessert recipe, this one is possibly it. With so much flavor and moisture packed into every bite, this zucchini sheet cake is great on its own. Adding the homemade browned butter frosting over the top just makes it irresistible!
Zucchini Spice Cake Recipe
I originally tried when I was looking for a way to use up my garden’s oversupply of zucchini. I made adjustments to the original and ended up with the light, airy and delicious recipe you see below.
The recipe below makes a large jelly roll pan/cooking sheet so it’s perfect for feeding a large crowd but if you’re looking for a recipe that feeds a smaller group then you can easily cut the recipe in half to get it to fit inside of a 9×13 baking dish. And while you don’t NEED to add the browned butter frosting, it’s such an incredible addition to the recipe that I highly recommend it.
Ingredients for Zucchini Spice Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
For the Cake You will Need:
-Zucchini: You will need 3 cups of grated zucchini. Leave the peels on because as the cake bakes they become too soft to notice but leave nice green specks throughout the cake.
-Flour: The base of our cake recipe is 3 cups of all-purpose flour.
-Leavening agents: You will need 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake rise as it bakes.
-Sugars: You will need ¾ cups each of white granulated sugar and brown sugar to make the cake sweet and to give it a nice depth of flavor.
-Spices: Using 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg this cake will be well spiced and perfect.
-Salt: Add in 1 teaspoon of salt to help enhance the flavors and make everything taste even better.
-Eggs: To help the cake rise properly and to bind everything together well you will need the help of 4 eggs.
-Milk: Adding ⅓ cup of milk will thin the batter down while adding moisture and richness.
-Oil: You will need 1 cup of vegetable oil to help give the cake fats needed to stay moist. That said, you can substitute for 1 cup of applesauce if desired to make it healthier.
-Vanilla: Using 2 teaspoons of vanilla will enhance our flavor profile. Stronger vanilla will work better, but use what you already have on hand.
-Nuts: Optionally, you can choose to add up to 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts in the cake batter if desired.
For the Frosting You Will Need:
-Butter: You will need 2/3s cups of butter for the frosting. Do not use margarine as it will not set properly.
-Powdered sugar: To keep the frosting smooth and sweet you’ll need 4 cups of powdered sugar.
-Vanilla: 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract will help to flavor our frosting well.
-Milk: You’ll need about 4 tablespoons of milk to get the perfect spreading consistency.
How to Make Spiced Zucchini Cake
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F and grease one jelly roll pan, set aside.
Grate your zucchini and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar, spices, and salt until well blended.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture, and then stir in the zucchini and walnuts (if desired).
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean. About 30-32 minutes.
Allow the zucchini spice cake to cool completely before frosting and cutting.
How to Make the Browned Butter Frosting
In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until butter turns a nice golden brown. It took mine about 5 minutes and when it turned, it turned very suddenly, so keep a watchful eye.
Remove from heat.
Add in the remaining ingredients, stirring until frosting is smooth and spreadable.
Spread on cake immediately. Let cool to set. Slice, serve & enjoy!
Zucchini Spice Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil {can substitute applesauce}
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts {optional}
Frosting
- 2/3 cup butter do not use margarine!
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease one jelly roll pan.
- Grate zucchini and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar, spices and salt in a large bowl until well blended. Beat the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture, then stir in the zucchini and walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-32 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting and cutting.
How to Make Frosting
- In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook until butter turns a nice golden brown. It took mine about 5 minutes and when it turned, it turned very suddenly.
- Remove from heat. Add in remaining ingredients, stirring until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Spread on cake immediately.
Nutrition
How Long Does Zucchini Cake Last?
If properly stored on the counter or at room temperature, you can expect it to last 1-2 days. If you choose to keep it stored in the fridge, you can get it to last even longer (possibly a week or more!)
Does Zucchini Cake Need To Be Refrigerated?
Zucchini cake does not need to be kept in the fridge, although you can choose to store it that way if you wish. The most important thing to do is to keep it well covered so that it doesn’t dry out before you get to eat it!
How Do You Grate Zucchini For Cake?
You can choose to use a food processor with the grater attachment or a box style cheese grater. These are both great suggestions. Simply cut the ends off of your washed zucchini and then rub the smaller side against the grater until it has been completely shredded. Using the standard shredded cheese side will give you perfectly sized zucchini pieces, any large and they’ll be too big, and any smaller will have you spending all day cleaning out the grater holes.
Why is my zucchini cake still wet after baking?
The water content in zucchini will vary greatly from one veggie to another as some retail more moisture than others. That said, you can help to remove some excess moisture after grating by allowing the zucchini shreds to rest on a plate of paper towels for a few minutes before using. Even just pressing a clean towel on top can help to remove a large amount of liquid so your baking result doesn’t vary too much from what you’re expecting.
If you Like Zucchini Desserts Then You’re Going to Love These Easy Zucchini Recipes!
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars
- Pudding Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Zucchini Cake
- Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
- Best Ever Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Zucchini Muffins
- Low Fat Zucchini Cookies
- Healthy Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Cookies
With a light and airy Zucchini spiced cake like this one, you’re going to be glad it makes a bunch of servings because you’ll keep wanting more of this delicious zucchini spice cake with browned butter frosting.
Bonnie says
i made this recipe twice and both times it turned out way too moist, almost as if it hadn’t cooked long enough, though I actually cooked it about 15 min longer than recommended. The first time I made it I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour, the second time I used regular all-purpose flour. And both times I used applesauce instead of oil, as suggested. The only reason I can think for why it cooks up so moist is perhaps there is too much zucchini. The cake has a very good flavor, so if I make it again I think I’ll lessen the amount of zucchini. Oh and one suggestion – I added a teaspoon of cardamom the second time, it gave it a nice flavor.
Jessica says
HI Bonnie! The water content in zucchini varies greatly! Maybe you can squeeze some out of your shredded zucchini next time? I love your suggestion to add cardamom! I’m for sure trying that!
Teresa says
Wonderful cake, and the frosting just makes it even more awesome! This has become one my favorite cakes to make and it was a hit at work as well.
Deborah Gunter says
The eggs are left off of the printed recipe. That is very irritating.
It is difficult to cut this recipe in half for a regular cake pan due to the milk and brown sugar. It would be better to have weight measurements for this purpose.
Jessica says
I apologize- I fixed it! I wish myself and my assistants were perfect, but alas, we are not.
Linda says
Yummy! I used applesauce in place of the oil, at just 1/2 cup; My zuke drained just a couple tablespoons of liquid; I haven’t made the frosting yet but plain, this is very tasty.
Linda says
…additionally, the full recipe made a 9″ x 12″ AND I filled a cupcake tin.
Deb says
THanks so much for the recipe! I’ve made it twice now and have had consistently delicious results. We use it for breakfast and so don’t ice it. I make it in a 9 x 13 pan and cut it in four, wrapping and freezing a couple and keeping a couple in the fridge. I use a food processor to grate the zucchini and have found that I don’t have to squeeze out any liquid that way. I’ve also added ginger to the spice mix. Smells great while cooking and tastes GREAT. Thanks so much.
Jessica says
Love it for breakfast Deb! So glad you’re enjoying it!