Summertime, and the baking is easy.
Zucchini bread is one of summer’s great joys. And this dump-it (or all-in-one) zucchini cake recipe is the very best of all. Moist, delicious, and one step to mix, this may be my favorite summer dessert.
I several pet peeves. One is anything with “dump” in the name. It is inherently a little . . . unappetizing, no? Yet a whole category of cakes are called “dump cakes.” Unlike cakes requiring creaming butter and sugar, folding meringues, melting chocolate, or any other steps, dump cakes have two steps only: Dump all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and stir.
Yet despite the name, I cannot help myself: This zucchini bread needs to be called Zucchini Dump-It Cake. Doing otherwise fails to do justice this sweet, seasonal quick bread’s ease.
Zucchini bread is summer’s version of banana bread. Zucchini seems everywhere in July and August, taking over farmers market tables, supermarket produce shelves, gardens, restaurant menus, and food websites alike.
I love when vegetables can be dessert. For reasons I cannot explain, zucchini tastes wonderful as a cake. A good zucchini bread is moist, flavorful, and gently spicy from cinnamon and nutmeg. This cake accomplishes all of that, and in the easiest way possible.
“Dump It” Zucchini Cake: Recipe Notes
- Use the large grate on the vegetable grater.
- No need to wring out the moisture. It is part of the recipe.
- How do you know when to turn the cake out of the loaf pan? When the cake is done, place it on a cooling rack and wait about 20 to 30 minutes, until the pan feels slightly warm to the touch, but not hot. Run a small offset spatula around the edges before turning it over to release.
- This recipe calls for one loaf pan, but it can also be baked in a 9″ round pan, or divided into two 6 or 8″ cake pans. The baking time will be significantly less.
Love zucchini cake? You’ll also love:
Easy, "Dump It" Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated zucchini, from 1 large or 2 smaller zucchini
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup canola or other neutral oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line a 9x5" loaf pan or cake pans of choice.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir by hand until well mixed. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
- Pour batter into the loaf or cake pans, and bake until the cake feels firm on top and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour for a loaf cake; less if divided into two cake pans. Cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, then turn out onto a cooking rack to cool fully.
Lisa,
The Zucchini Bread Dump Cake looks delicious! I plan on making it this weekend. Can you tell what icing you put on top of it and post that recipe too? Thank you for sharing your recipes! Love your pecan shortbread cookies.
Hi, Karen and thanks! Those cookies are one of my favorites, too. Actually just made a batch last week! As for the frosting, I used a simple vanilla buttercream recipe. I’ll be posting the recipe on the site in the next couple of weeks to go with a new layer cake, but here’s the preview. Reduce the recipe by at least half (or more) to just top a loaf cake. Thanks again!
Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
(Yield: Enough to layer and coat 2 x 9″ layer cakes)
4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 x 32 oz. bag powdered sugar
scant 1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a mixer. On VERY low setting at first to not cause a powdered sugar explosion (we’ve all been there, right?), mix until it starts to fully combine. Then kick the mixer up to medium high and beat until lightened. Add the vanilla, milk, and salt, and continue to beat until fluffy. Scrape the bowl once or twice during this process to make sure everything is fully combined. Taste.
This came out of the oven about 45 minutes ago is and already half gone. This was very, very easy and tastes good. I might reduce the nutmeg slightly for next time because it is a strong flavor, but it is also delicious as-is. Your blog is beautiful.
So glad we got to recipe test this in advance (lucky neighbors). We loved it and will make it ourselves again . . . unless you want to drop another one off whenever, of course.
Hah! So glad you liked it. You’ll be first on my list.
CouldI make this in into aChocolate Zucchini Cake by adding some Droste’s cocoa? If so,how
much? (My guess is about 3 Tablespoons)..
Yum—-Droste is good stuff. Yes, that seems like a good start depending on how chocolate-y you want to make it, but just remove an equal amount of the flour. I’d say up to 1/4 cup, but keep me posted. I’m interested! Happy baking. ??
This was easy to make, was moist and tasted delicious.
Thanks, Linda! So glad you liked it.
Fabulous! Easy! This cake recipe tasted really moist and had a perfect amount of spice. I forwarded this to a few friends and highly recommend it to anyone.
This is a great cake and it came out very well. Grating the zucchini was the hardest part. which is to say it’s not hard at all! Love the flavor. Very moist.
In the UK, we call those kinds of cakes ‘all in one’ cakes. Slightly more appetising than ‘dump’, which in the UK means something you definitely would NOT want in a cake. Oh dear. Did make me smile, though this cake does look absolutely delicious.
Hi and I am COMPLETELY with you on the very, very unappetizing word “dump” in any recipe. Alas, that is what this type of cake seems to be called in the States. However, now that I know that the British have the much lovelier “all-in-one” term, I am going to switch to that going forward. I am so glad that you clued me in to this! Thanks for writing!
Very easy and turned out great!! Moist and excellent flavor with the hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. Thank you and I love your blog.