This zucchini cake is every thing I need in a summer time bake: extremely moist, subtly candy, and topped with a tangy Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting that tastes downright indulgent. I bake it in a 9×13 dish and minimize it into bars, so it’s simply as simple to carry to a potluck as it’s to sneak a chunk for breakfast. It’s additionally one in all my favourite methods to make use of up a glut of backyard zucchini earlier than it takes over-the-counter.
I’ve made One-Bowl Zucchini Muffins and Chocolate Zucchini Bread right here on Match Foodie Finds, and I wished to carry that very same lightened-up, real-ingredient strategy to a full-on zucchini cake recipe. It’s the right quantity of candy and moist, and that Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting is simply chef’s kiss.
This zucchini cake recipe couldn’t be simpler to place collectively. The important thing step is squeezing the moisture out of the grated zucchini — after that, it’s identical to making another strange cake. Combine your moist substances, whisk your dry substances, mix, and bake. Delish.
- Sneaky wholesome swaps: Avocado oil, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup exchange butter/oil and refined sugar with out sacrificing the moist, tender crumb.
- One bowl, no mixer expertise required: Combine moist, combine dry, mix, bake.
- Higher the subsequent day: Like most zucchini bakes, the flavour and texture enhance after a day within the fridge.
- Crowd-pleaser: A 9×13 pan of bars feeds a potluck or get together with out anybody guessing it’s lightened up.
Right here’s what you’ll have to make this zucchini cake, plus a couple of notes on why every ingredient issues.
- Zucchini: Grated on the big holes of a field grater, then squeezed to take away extra moisture earlier than it goes into the batter.
- Brown sugar: Provides an additional layer of depth to the sweetness.
- Avocado oil: My go-to more healthy fats swap for butter, including moisture and richness to the cake.
- Greek yogurt: The key to what retains the cake tremendous moist and decadent (it additionally doubles into the frosting).
- Maple syrup: This pure sweetener pairs completely with the zucchini’s gentle taste and the brown sugar.
- Almond milk: Provides a delicate, nutty word to the batter.
- Fats-free cream cheese: Retains the frosting on the lighter facet with out shedding the tangy taste.
Why squeezing issues: Zucchini holds a ton of water, and skipping this step is the primary purpose zucchini bakes end up soggy within the center. I wrap the grated zucchini in a clear towel and wring it out over the sink till barely any extra liquid comes out — it looks like overkill, nevertheless it’s the distinction between a bouncy, tender cake and a dense, moist one.
If you happen to love discovering new methods to make use of up backyard zucchini, my Zucchini Muffins are one other favourite of mine.
The key to a very moist zucchini cake comes down to 2 issues: how a lot water I pull from the zucchini, and what I exploit to interchange the fats and moisture that butter often supplies. Squeeze too little, and the batter turns dense and gummy within the center; squeeze an excessive amount of, and also you lose a few of the pure moisture zucchini contributes to a young crumb. After years of testing zucchini bakes for Match Foodie Finds, I’ve realized precisely how a lot moisture to drag earlier than it begins to have an effect on the rise and texture of the cake.
That’s additionally why I pair Greek yogurt with avocado oil right here as a substitute of straight butter — collectively, they replicate butter’s fats and moisture with out all of the saturated fats, and the yogurt’s tang retains the sweetness balanced. It’s the identical macro-aware strategy I exploit throughout most of my baking: actual substances, examined and retested till the ratios are proper.
How one can Make Zucchini Cake
As soon as the zucchini is squeezed dry, this cake comes collectively in a single bowl with no fancy tools. I combine my moist substances till easy, whisk the dry substances individually, then fold every thing along with the zucchini simply till no streaks of flour stay — overmixing right here is the enemy of a young crumb. I pour the batter right into a 9×13 dish and bake it till a toothpick comes out clear, then let the cake cool utterly earlier than topping it with the tangy Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting. Each ingredient quantity, temperature, and timing is within the recipe card beneath.
use a ceramic baking dish!
I like to recommend utilizing a ceramic baking dish for these bars as a result of it tends to bake extra evenly and helps forestall the sides from over-browning earlier than the middle units. If you happen to don’t have ceramic and are utilizing aluminum or metallic as a substitute, begin checking for doneness across the 25-minute mark.
Variations to Strive
The wonderful thing about zucchini is its gentle taste that’ll go together with absolutely anything. If you happen to’d like so as to add your individual particular twist to this zucchini cake recipe, listed below are some concepts:
If you happen to love a lightened-up cake with the identical Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting, my Wholesome Carrot Cake is one other one in all my go-tos.
Retailer any leftover zucchini cake in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. You too can freeze the cake for as much as 2 months — thaw it within the fridge earlier than serving. Like most zucchini bakes, this cake truly tastes even higher on day two as soon as the flavors have had an opportunity to meld, so if I’m making it for a gathering, I prefer to bake it a day forward.
The frosting on this cake relies on my stand-alone Wholesome Cream Cheese Frosting, so test that publish out if you wish to whip up additional to maintain readily available.
FAQs
Can I make this zucchini cake vegan?
Sure! Swap the eggs for flax or chia eggs (1 tablespoon floor flax or chia seeds blended with 3 tablespoons water per egg), use a dairy-free yogurt different like coconut or almond-based yogurt rather than the Greek yogurt, and swap in a vegan cream cheese substitute for the frosting.
Do I have to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini?
Sure, this step issues. Zucchini holds numerous water, and skipping it results in a dense, soggy cake. Place the grated zucchini in a clear tea towel or paper towels and squeeze firmly over the sink earlier than including it to the batter.
How lengthy does zucchini cake final?
Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days, or freeze for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than serving.
Can I exploit a special pan measurement?
This recipe is designed for a 9×13-inch baking dish. If you happen to use a smaller pan, anticipate a thicker cake and an extended bake time — begin checking for doneness 10-Quarter-hour previous the unique bake time with a toothpick check.
Why does this recipe suggest a ceramic baking dish?
Ceramic bakes extra evenly and helps forestall the sides from over-browning earlier than the middle units. If you happen to’re utilizing a metallic or aluminum pan as a substitute, begin checking for doneness across the 25-minute mark since metallic conducts warmth quicker.
Is that this zucchini cake more healthy than a standard recipe?
Sure — this model swaps butter for avocado oil, refined sugar for maple syrup and brown sugar, and makes use of Greek yogurt in each the cake and the frosting for additional protein and moisture with out the added fats of a standard buttercream.
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish with cooking spray, or line it with parchment paper. Lining with parchment makes it a lot simpler to carry the cake out cleanly as soon as it’s frosted and sliced.
-
Place the grated zucchini in a clear tea towel or a number of layers of paper towels. Collect the sides and squeeze firmly over the sink till you cease seeing liquid drip out. Discard the liquid and set the zucchini apart. This step issues: zucchini holds a ton of water, and skipping it’s the primary purpose zucchini desserts end up dense and soggy within the center.
-
In a big bowl, use a hand mixer to beat collectively the brown sugar, avocado oil, eggs, vanilla extract, Greek yogurt, and almond milk till easy and totally mixed, about 1 minute. Put aside.
-
In a separate medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the dry substances and the squeezed zucchini to the moist substances, then fold along with a spatula simply till no streaks of flour stay. Don’t overmix — overmixing develops the gluten within the flour, which toughens the crumb as a substitute of preserving it tender.
-
Pour the batter into the ready baking dish and unfold it into a good layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear or with a couple of moist crumbs and the sides simply start to drag away from the perimeters of the pan.
-
Take away the cake from the oven and let it cool utterly within the pan, a minimum of 3 hours, earlier than frosting. Frosting a heat cake will trigger the frosting to soften and slide proper off, so resist the urge to hurry this step.
-
Whereas the cake cools, make the frosting: in a medium bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese by itself with a hand mixer first till utterly easy, about 1 minute. Beating it alone earlier than including anything prevents lumps within the completed frosting. Add the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, then beat once more till totally mixed and creamy. Refrigerate till prepared to make use of.
-
Unfold the frosting evenly over the utterly cooled cake, slice into bars, and serve. Retailer any leftovers as directed beneath.
- We suggest utilizing a ceramic baking dish to make these bars. If you happen to do not need ceramic and are utilizing aluminum, begin with checking for doneness across the 25-minute mark.
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”l0nM1Lum” upload-date=”2024-09-11T00:00:00.000Z” name=”Healthier Zucchini Cake” description=”This Zucchini Cake truly “takes the cake” all thanks to some healthier swaps — avocado oil, Greek yogurt, and maple syrup. And the homemade Greek yogurt cream cheese frosting is icing on the cake!”]
Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
