Zucchini Cake
Zucchini Cake is a flavorful and moist cake made with grated zucchini and a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Zucchini Cake is a flavorful and moist cake made with grated zucchini and a luscious cream cheese frosting.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- cake:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups grated zucchini
- frosting:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- Carbohydrate 97.8870876641687 g
- Cholesterol 83.2472222388605 mg
- Fat 51.9471250328986 g
- Fiber 1.47384723732428 g
- Protein 5.38700639243788 g
- Saturated Fat 21.2695995199211 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (241g)
- Sodium 668.440278316103 mg
- Sugar 96.4132404268445 g
- Trans Fat 2.53755473700108 g
- Calories 866 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, white sugar, and salt. Mix well.
- In another bowl, beat eggs, vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together. Pour into egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted into each layer comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- To Make Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, and beat until smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread between cake layers and stack to make a 3-layer cake.
Grated zucchini adds no recognizable vegetable flavor to this dessert, functioning entirely as a moisture-retaining mechanism through baking. Because three cups of sugar and a full cup and a half of vegetable oil produce an exceptionally rich crumb, balancing the plate requires deliberate beverage planning. Strong black coffee or unsweetened Earl Grey tea cuts through the heavy fat content of the cream cheese and butter frosting without competing with the ground cinnamon. Alternatively, tart fresh berries placed alongside the slice provide acid contrast to offset the substantial sweetness.
Baking this batter across three 9-inch round pans yields thin layers that bake quickly at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring only 25 minutes in the oven. Letting the cakes rest in their pans for precisely 10 minutes prevents them from breaking during inversion onto wire racks. Room temperature dairy is non-negotiable for the frosting; cold cream cheese will form stubborn lumps rather than a smooth spread.
Swapping all-purpose flour for a gluten-free measure will yield a crumbly structure unless xanthan gum is present in the blend. Reducing the white sugar compromises the moisture retention provided by the vegetable oil, resulting in a denser, drier cake.
