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When I’m making zucchini cake, it’s because I want cake: fluffy, high, moreish…. and frosting – especially if it’s cream cheese frosting! Too many zucchini cakes come out of the oven looking (and tasting) like zucchini bread dupes, with nuts and maple syrup and a dense texture that isn’t quite what I had in mind when I started. But that ends right here, right now with this recipe.
Friends, this is a cake – a one-bowl cake to be exact!
😍 Why You’ll Love My One-Bowl Zucchini Cake Recipe
It’s soft and moist and the perfect way to use up a bountiful summer zucchini harvest, with less fat and sugar than a traditional zucchini cake to boot! I affectionately refer to it as a ‘snacking cake’ because it’s perfect for indulging anytime, anywhere – just slice yourself a generous square and enjoy.
It’s gluten-free and has super simple adaptations if you’re dairy-free or vegan, making it an absolute showstopper at barbecues and gatherings. And the best part is, you can make it all ahead of time: chill it, and serve it whenever you’re ready. One-bowl magic!
👩🍳 How to Make My One-Bowl Zucchini Cake
🔥 Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. Line a 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
🥣 In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in the yogurt, oil, sugar, and vanilla.
🥒 Using a rubber spatula, mix in the shredded zucchini.
🧂 Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and fold into the wet ingredients until there are no lumps of flour remaining.
🫗 Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
⏲️ Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes until puffed up, golden, and just cooked through.
🌬️ Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
🧈 While the cake is cooling, make the frosting: Beat together the butter and cream cheese for 1 minute until lighter in texture.
🤍 Add the powdered sugar and salt on low and increase to medium until light and creamy.
✨ Spread over the cooled cake and garnish with a sprinkle or two of cinnamon around the border.
🥳 Enjoy!
🤲 Substitutions
This Zucchini cake deserves a spot at every gathering this summer, so don’t let a few pesky ingredients stand in your way! Here’s what I’d reach for if you need to…
- Make it dairy-free: Simply use a non-dairy yogurt and vegan cream cheese in this recipe.
- Use a different oil: I call for a neutral oil, such as vegetable or safflower oil, but you can use olive oil in place.
- Use the grater you have on hand: I like my zucchini finely grated in this cake, so it almost melts into the batter, but you can use a medium grate if that’s your preference.
- Make it refined-sugar-free: Coconut sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar if you want this to be refined-sugar free. Just expect it to be darker in color.
📓 This Zucchini Cake is best served…
- On its own – I call it a snacking cake for good reason!
- With a generous helping of berries. What could be more summery than that!
👝 How to Store Leftover Zucchini Cake
Store this cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator – that cream cheese frosting will last longer that way! It’s best served day of, but if you plan to serve this the next day, store in the refrigerator and remove 2 hours before serving to take the chill off.
🧠 Common Questions
Simply swap out the cream cheese with a dairy-free variety, and the butter for vegan butter if you’re highly sensitive to dairy.
Coconut sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar if you want this to be refined-sugar free. Just note that your cake will be darker in color (but just as good to taste!)
Absolutely!
Greek yogurt would work wonderfully here, just make sure whatever yogurt you use isn’t low-fat!
In this particular instance, I have accounted for the moisture in the zucchini so once it’s shredded, it’s ready to go! Other recipes may not have accounted for the moisture and ask that you squeeze it out, but I like to keep things fast and easy around here (and it’s less to clean up which is a major bonus in my book)!
One-Bowl Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Zucchini Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain yogurt, 2%
- ⅓ cup neutral oil, such as safflower or vegetable
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup finely grated zucchini, from about 1 medium zucchini
- 1 ⅔ cups Gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for decorating, if desired
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F.
- Line a 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in the yogurt, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the shredded zucchini.
- Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and fold into the wet ingredients until there are no lumps of flour remaining.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top.
- Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes until puffed up, golden, and just cooked through.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting:
- Beat together the butter and cream cheese for 1 minute until lighter in texture. Add the powdered sugar and salt on low and increase to medium until light and creamy. It won’t be as fluffy as a buttercream, that’s okay.
- Spread over the cooled cake and garnish with a sprinkle or two of cinnamon around the border. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tomorrow is intruder training for my elementary teaching staff. Baking a double batch tonight so that there is a silver lining to the meeting. It is so good…. and feeds both our bellies, and emotions!
FANTASTIC! I would give it more stars if I could!
Haha, Iove you mean it! xo, Kat
Best. Cake. Ever!!!
My family devoured it in one day!!!!
It’s a must make!
Oh Denise! I love to hear it!! xo, Kat
Second time making this cake. Both times, they didn’t rise like yours seems to. I did use a slightly larger pan and regular flour. The first time I know I grated the zucchini too small so it was mushy. Tonight I used the correct side of my grater (after watching your video). Any tips? The flavor is spot on!
Can you use regular flour in the same amount as you use the gluten free?
Hi Laura, Yes! Should be fine. xo, Kat
I made these into muffins and used dairy free yogurt and allulose/coconut sugar blend. The flavor was perfect as a muffin to go with coffee but i need to reduce the liquid content because dairy free yogurt tends to be more wet and cause the muffins to be denser with a gluten-free flour blend.
Hi Amber! What a great idea to make as muffins, I bet they were delish to go along with your coffee.
You’re absolutely right about dairy-free yogurts sometimes having a higher moisture content, especially when using blends like coconut or almond milk bases. Reducing the liquid a bit next time is a smart move to help with texture and avoid that extra density when paired with gluten-free flour.
You could also try: Using a slightly thicker yogurt (like coconut cream-style) OR Reducing any added liquid by 1–2 tablespoons.
Hope that helps! XO, Kat
I’m making this cake (again!) but this week it’s for my son who’s starting middle school. He loves this cake and I know if he knows he has this cake to look forward to each day (if it lasts that long), he’ll be sure to have a great first week back. Thank you for such an easy yet delicious recipe!
Hi Amanda! Isnt it just the most delicious recipe?! Its a favorite of mine too! Hoping he has a great first week of school!! XO, Kat
This cake was, moist, flavorful and SO easy to make! My husband said it was the best zucchini based dessert he’s ever had! Thanks for another home run!
Hi Megan! Looooooove to hear it!! XO, Kat
Absolutely loved this cake! Easy and delicious.
Love to hear it Emelia! Thanks for sharing 🙂 xo, Kat
Amazing cake! I’m shocked by how well it turned out even after I swapped the sugar with Monkfeuit sweetener. The texture was 10/10. My family demolished the cake in one evening. My husband who absolutely does not have a sweet tooth probably ate half of it 😂