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Come August, we are all usually drowning in zucchini and I’m always looking for new ways to use it. This Berry Zucchini cake is just sweet enough, moist and tender from the zucchini, and bursting with berries.
Let’s talk substitutions: I suggest keeping the almond flour in this as it provides the fat in the cake, but you can sub the oat flour out for all purpose or whole wheat if you’d like. Almond flour is easy to get these days, but it’s expensive, so I like to use it in combination with less expensive flours like oat (which you can make in a food processor with your oats, if you remember).
I’ve used blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries all with excellent results. It’s a really versatile cake that keeps well in the fridge (though it goes FAST).
I hope you love it as much as we do!
Table of Contents
How To Make My Berry Zucchini Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line your pan with parchment and spray with baking spray.
- Place your zucchini in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer to a large bowl. Add eggs, honey, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, and salt and whisk lightly with a fork.
- Add to wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold flour coated berries into your batter and transfer to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 28-35 minutes until tester comes out clean. Let cool briefly in pan and finish cooling completely on a rack before frosting.
- To make the frosting – Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and garnish with a few more berries.
- Enjoy!
Zucchini naturally has a lot of water, which can make the cake soggy if not removed. Squeezing out the moisture helps create a firmer, fluffier cake texture.
Yes, you can use frozen berries, but be sure to thaw them and pat them dry before tossing in oat flour. This prevents excess moisture in the cake and helps the berries distribute more evenly.
Coating the berries in oat flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. This step helps keep them evenly dispersed for a balanced flavor.
Almond and oat flour provide a specific texture and flavor, so substituting them may change the results. However, you could try a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour for oat flour or ground sunflower seeds for almond flour, though results may vary.
Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, the cake is ready. If there’s wet batter on it, bake for a few more minutes.
Yes, maple syrup or agave nectar can work as substitutes, though the flavor and texture may vary slightly. Aim for a similar liquid sweetener rather than granulated sugar for best results.
The frosting adds a sweet, creamy contrast, but you can skip it if you prefer a lighter cake. You can also try a simple dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream instead.
To make it vegan, you could try replacing the eggs with flax eggs (2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons of water.
Berry Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 cup blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries, tossed with 1 T oat flour
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 ⅓ cup oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line your pan with parchment and spray with baking spray.
- Place your zucchini in a clean cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer to a large bowl. Add eggs, honey, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, and salt and whisk lightly with a fork.
- Add to wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold flour coated berries into your batter and transfer to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 28-35 minutes until tester comes out clean. Let cool briefly in pan and finish cooling completely on a rack before frosting.
- To make the frosting – Beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cooled cake and garnish with a few more berries.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hands down one of the best ways to use zucchini – not too sweet, but so moist and delicious!
I totally agree, Anna!
Thank you for giving it a try!
Kat.
What size is the pan please?
I reach for my 9×13 cake pan!
Kat.
Looks delicious but what size pan do you use? The instructions don’t say.
I reach for my 9×13 cake pan!
Kat.