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Zucchini Cake

Zucchini cake is a tender zucchini sheet cake baked until moist and spiced, then blanketed in thick cream cheese frosting. This easy zucchini cake uses grated zucchini squeezed dry for a soft crumb, finished with a fluffy frosting swirl-ready texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry Grate, then squeeze well to remove excess moisture.
  • 0.5 cup chopped walnuts Optional.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.5 cup butter, softened
  • 2.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp milk

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the zucchini sheet cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together until evenly combined.
  3. Beat granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Stir in grated and squeezed-dry zucchini until the batter looks uniformly mixed.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined; fold in chopped walnuts if using.
  6. Pour batter into the greased pan and spread evenly.
  7. Bake for 30–35 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean.
Frost and serve
  1. Cool the cake completely before frosting (at least 30 minutes) so the frosting doesn’t melt.
  2. Beat cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until light and fluffy.
  3. Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cooled cake and slice into squares to serve.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very dry—this keeps the sheet cake tender without turning gummy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the unfrosted cake can be frozen up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost). For a dairy-light swap, use a plant-based cream cheese alternative and butter substitute in equal amounts for a similar frosting texture.