Zucchini cake is one of summer’s great, simple joys. This zucchini dump cake recipe is moist, delicious, and super easy: just stir the ingredients together and bake. This cake is homey summer baking at its finest.
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Summertime and the baking is easy, thanks to this one-step zucchini cake.
I love when vegetables can be dessert. When summer season arrives, so does a lot of zucchini. While we usually focus on savory zucchini recipes (like this Italian zucchini ribbon salad and summer squash parmesan), zucchini also makes a wonderful cake.
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 dump-it zucchini cake recipe accomplishes all of that, and in the easiest method possible.
More great simple summer dessert recipes include classic banana bread recipe and a creamy Southern banana pudding—another sweet way to enjoy ripe bananas.
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe for zucchini cake uses standard ingredients. Instead of butter, though, this is an oil-based cake. This saves the trouble and step of creaming butter and sugar, and also helps make this incredibly moist. You will need:
- zucchini (of course!)
- flour
- sugar
- baking powder and baking soda for leavening
- oil
- eggs
- cinnamon and nutmeg for a little spice
- vanilla extract
- Extras: You can also add 1 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips. This will give the zucchini bread some texture and crunch.
How to Make This Zucchini Cake Recipe
Zucchini cake 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.
This easy, moist zucchini cake might be my favorite summer baked good. It’s a dump-it cake: just dump the ingredients in a bowl, stir, and bake. Serve plain or with vanilla buttercream.
And get the recipe for the famous Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins, another homey breakfast bake.
The instructions for this simple, homemade cake could not be easier. First grate the zucchini. Then, dump the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, give it a good stir, our the batter into a loaf pan, and bake. If you’d like to make a little vanilla frosting for the top, go for it. Spread it all over the top of the cooled cake.
Recipe FAQs
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.
No, the moisture from the zucchini is an important part of the cake. It helps keep the cake moist.
This zucchini cake 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.
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If you tried this Easy Moist Zucchini Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a ? star rating and let me know how you go in the ? comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Easy, Moist Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini (or 2 small)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon 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
- Optional: 1 cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line a 9×5" loaf pan.
- Grate the zucchini using the large grate on a boxed grater and add it to a large mixing bowl. You should have about 2 cups of grated zucchini.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir by hand until well mixed. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is fully combined.
- Pour the zucchini cake batter into the loaf pan, and bake until the cake feels firm on top and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooking rack to cool fully.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
38 comments
Unpeeled
delicious
Lorraine
I haven’t tried this cake yet but where is the recipe for the delicious looking frosting???
Unpeeled
Hi, Lorraine! It’s just a simple vanilla buttercream recipe. Here’s the link; you’ll only need a half recipe, if that. https://unpeeledjournal.com/vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/
Kathryn
Love this bread!
Would this work using a mini muffin pan?
Unpeeled
Hi, Kathryn! Yes. You could definitely do that. It will bake for a shorter amount of time, of course, but that will definitely work! I hope you enjoy.
Dana Ward
The easiest way to distribute the spices or leavening agents is to mix with wet ingredients before adding flour. This works with cakes too and makes many recipes work as one-bowl recipes! You could also use a food processor for this recipe. Grate the zucchini in the processor and keep adding ingredients. Just make sure your food processor is big enough and be careful not to over mix. Pulses work well.
Laurie Eaton
Where is the frosting recipe??
Unpeeled
Hi, Laurie! I am updating the recipe to include a link directly to the frosting recipe. But this is it here. To just top the zucchini loaf cake, you probably just need about a 1/4 recipe or so. https://unpeeledjournal.com/vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/
Brie Tascione
I love this bread recipe Lisa! So moist and delicious— and the best part, EASY! I made cream cheese frosting to go with it like the picture and it gave it a carrot cake feel. So yummy! Thanks for another great, foolproof recipe!
Unpeeled
Hi, Brie! Thanks so much for making this and for the nice comment! Glad you enjoyed and hope you’re all having a nice summer.
jan
You show this with a frosting but it’s not included in the ingredients/directions.
Is it one that’s on your site for another recipe? I’d like to make it with the frosting.
Unpeeled
Sorry for the late response on this! I like to use a standard vanilla frosting recipe. For icing the top of a simple loaf cake like this, you will just need about a 1/4 recipe of this: https://unpeeledjournal.com/vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/ . If you’re doing it as a layer cake, with the layers and sides frosted, make the full recipe.
I hope you enjoy, and I will add a frosting link within the recipe. I appreciate your note, and thanks.
Deborah
I have not yet made this. What kind of icing/topping are you showing on it in your picture? You don’t mention suggestions anywhere for those who choose to add a topping.
Unpeeled
Hi, Deborah! Sorry for the late response on this! Good point. I like to use a standard vanilla frosting recipe. For just icing the top of a loaf cake like this, you will just need about a 1/4 recipe of this: https://unpeeledjournal.com/vanilla-buttercream-frosting-recipe/
I hope you enjoy, and I will add a frosting link within the recipe. I appreciate your note, and thanks.
Mary B
Can i add blueberries?
Unpeeled
Absolutely! Sounds delicious.
Kay
Yummy, great recipe, love it! However my son pointed out that “one step” isn’t the best description (there are three) and was confused by it. I had to explain it to him; he is new to baking so I’ve been giving him easier recipes to start out with including this one. One bowl would be more accurate.
Unpeeled
Good call! So glad you enjoyed it. Please tell your son that he is absolutely right — now that I think of it, grating is one step, mixing is one step, and baking another.