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Zucchini Cake

Zucchini cake is a tender, spiced zucchini sheet cake baked until moist with a soft crumb, then finished with thick cream cheese frosting. This easy zucchini cake is made in a 9x13 pan for simple slicing and a classic cream cheese swirled top.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
  • 0.5 cup chopped walnuts (optional) Optional.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.5 cup butter, softened
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan so the cake releases cleanly after baking.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl until evenly combined with no visible streaks.
  3. Beat granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  4. Stir in grated squeezed zucchini and mix until the batter looks uniformly speckled.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients and chopped walnuts (if using) into the wet mixture until just combined, with no dry flour pockets.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
  7. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, then remove the pan to cool.
Frost the cake
  1. Cool completely before frosting, about 30 minutes, so the frosting doesn’t melt or slide.
  2. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until light and fluffy, then spread thickly over the cooled cake.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry (use a clean towel) for the moist spiced interior without excess moisture. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze frosted slices up to 2 months for best texture (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a dairy-light option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and butter.