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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.
I made this cake and it turned out super yummy.
I’m so thrilled, Alphy!
Enjoy,
Kat.
Made two of the zucchini cakes today plus the lemon coconut all for a family gathering. Delicious and easy! Made the Revolutionary Broccoli salad for lunch. Also delicious!
I’m so thrilled you’re here, Marcia – thank you for trying (and loving) all of these recipes!
Enjoy,
Kat.
This cake is so easy and delicious! I made two zucchini cakes today plus the Lemon Coconut all to take to a family reunion! Oh and for lunch made the Revolutionary Broccoli salad! I’m on a roll with Kat! I did find both cakes took less time than recipe indicated.
That’s wonderful to hear, Marcia!
I’m over the moon that you enjoyed them all – and you must be a very efficient baker to have sped through them so quickly!
Enjoy,
Kat.
Great recipe! Very easy to make, no changes needed, delicious, will defiantly make again.
Thank you, Christine!
Enjoy,
Kat.
So delicious and SO easy to make! I replaced the 2 eggs with flax eggs (6 tablespoons of water with 2 tablespoons of flax). The cake is so light and fluffy. I will definitely be making again. Thank you!
Made this for a group gathering, it was an immediate hit.
We all loved the cake texture; a nice change from a zucchini bread. Using zucchini makes you feel less guilty about eating dessert.
Delicious! Made twice in the last week. My daughter is allergic to eggs, so I replaced with a combination of ground chia and flax and that worked beautifully. I used the Oikos triple protein vanilla yogurt. Enjoying for breakfast right now!
Sounds delicious, Sarah! So glad you both get to enjoy this one!
Kat.
Thank you for the tip! I am also allergic to eggs and came to the comments to ask. I thought of applesauce, but it would probably make it too watered down. Glad to use chia and flax ‘eggs.’
Where are the adaptations for dairy free (mentioned at the beginning of the article) please
Hi Sue, I reference a dairy-free option in the “What else can I use” section of this post. Simply swap out the cream cheese with a dairy-free variety, and the butter for vegan butter if you’re highly sensitive to dairy.
Kat
Looks like a great recipe, excited by the prospect of this being a “cake,” and not just another zucchini “bread!” Also, that’ it’s gluten-free! The recipe says AP GF flour…is that 1:1 GF flour or the regular flour without xanthan gum?
Hey Sarah, I reach for Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour a lot and it’s never failed me! It does include some xanthem gum but it’s there to provide some of the stickiness that gluten free goods lack, replacing some elasticity – I think that’s what makes it such a great replacement!
Let me know if you give it a go!
Kat.
Can I use all purpose flour
Yes absolutely!
Enjoy,
Kat.