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.
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