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    Home » Dessert » Cake

    Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Published: Jul 25, 2022 · Modified: Jul 25, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    Bake yourself happy with this Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Similar to carrot cake, but baked with zucchini, it’s delicious cold from the fridge on a summer afternoon. Yes, you should do some summer baking with this!

    Serve this zucchini cake by itself or alongside Strawberry Cookies and Iced Coffee for a fun, summery snack or dessert. Want a different topping than cream cheese? Try our Orange Buttercream Frosting.

    close up of a square of zucchini cake on plate with three more slices in the background. this …

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    Jump to:
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • More Great Zucchini Recipes
    • Tell us what you think!
    • Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    When it rains zucchini, it pours. At least in my neck of the woods. And when it does, I have two lines of defense: Ratatouille or Zucchini Fritters as well as baked goods like Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins and Chocolate Zucchini Cake.

    My new favorite is this Spiced Zucchini Cake. Rich in spices and a luscious frosting, it packs some great flavors, a combo of spicy and creamy and totally delicious!

    Why Make This

    It’s a great way to use zucchini. This is the best Zucchini Cake, especially with the creamy frosting.

    It’s freezer friendly. I love baking this cake and freezing slices for later. Such a fun treat on a hot summer afternoon.

    It’s delicious. This cake is so easy and simple to make, yet so packed with flavor.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you’ll need to make Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

    ingredients to make zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting.

    eggs – You’ll need four eggs. You can use a flaxseed meal egg substitute, but the texture will be dramatically different.

    granulated sugar – You can use regular plain white sugar, but if you like more flavor, use light brown sugar.

    oil – Use a neutral oil, like avocado or canola.

    zucchini – You’ll need 2 cups shredded zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini.

    flour – I use unbleached, all-purpose but you can use regular flour as well as whole wheat pastry flour.

    leavening – You’ll need both baking soda and salt for this zucchini cake recipe.

    spices – I like to use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. You can also use pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.

    cream cheese – For the richest frosting, use full fat cream cheese. You can also use neufchâtel cheese. Either way you’ll need 8 ounces cream cheese, which is a full brick. It will need to be softened to room temperature before prepping the frosting.

    butter – You can use softened butter or margarine if you prefer.

    powdered sugar – You’ll need 2 cups powdered sugar. If you run out, remember you can make your own powdered sugar.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to make Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

    eggs, oil, and sugar in mixing bowl.
    adding zucchini to the egg mixture in mixing bowl.
    sifting flour and spices into cake batter in mixing bowl.
    batter combined in mixing bowl with gray spoon.
    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
    • In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and oil. Stir in the grated zucchini.
    • Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir gently until combined.
    cake batter in greased pan.
    baked cake cooling on the rack.
    • Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely on a rack.
    butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl.
    butter and cream cheese whipped together in bowl.
    adding sugar to the cream cheese and butter ini the bowl.
    prepped frosting in mixing bowl.
    • To prepare the frosting, place the cheese and the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whip until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and continue whipping until smooth.
    • Frost the cooled cake and store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
    cream cheese frosting dolloped on cooled cake.
    frosted cake in metal pan.

    Variations

    If you’d like to vary the topping on the cake, you can sprinkle 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans across the frosting.

    Alternatively, you can make cinnamon cream cheese frosting by adding ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the powdered sugar prior to prepping the frosting.

    Make vanilla frosting, add 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the frosting.

    FAQs

    Does zucchini need to be peeled for cake?

    No, you do not need to peel zucchini. Just shred it for cake like you would shred cheese on a box grater

    Can you freeze zucchini cake?

    You can freeze cake before or after frosting. Cool the cake completely and wrap with plastic wrap. Then double wrap in foil prior to storing in the freezer. If freezing a frosted cake, freeze it unwrapped until the frosting is firm. Then wrap and store in the freezer.

    Should I refrigerate zucchini cake?

    Zucchini cake does not need to be refrigerated unless it’s a very moist cake. If the cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting, you should store it in the fridge.

    overhead shot of frosted zucchini cake in metal cake pan.

    More Great Zucchini Recipes

    • Zucchini and Sweet Potato Hash
      Zucchini and Sweet Potato Hash
    • zucchini muffin with dark and white chocolate chips poking out the top.
      Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins (31 cents each)
    • hand dipping a baked zucchini fritter into a small white dish of ranch.
      Baked Zucchini Fritters (34 cents each)
    • overhead shot of cinnamon waffle topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar.
      Zucchini Cinnamon Waffles (28 cents each!)
    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    close up of fork of spiced zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting above a square of cake on a white plate.

    Spiced Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Bake yourself happy with this spiced zucchini cake topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 360kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $3

    Equipment

    • 9×13-inch baking dish
    • hand mixer

    Ingredients

    • 4 egg
    • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup neutral oil
    • 1 zucchini shredded for 2 cups
    • 2 ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 8 oz cream cheese softened, neufchatel is fine, too
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 2 cup powdered sugar
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
    • In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and oil. Stir in the zucchini.
    • Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves into the bowl of the wet ingredients. Stir gently until combined.
    • Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a rack.
    • To prepare the frosting, place the cheese and the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whip until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and continue whipping until smooth.
    • Frost the cooled cake and store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 1/12 of the recipe. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.
    For longer storage, freeze the cake. Cool the cake completely and wrap with plastic wrap. Then double wrap in foil prior to storing in the freezer. If freezing a frosted cake, freeze it unwrapped until the frosting is firm. Then wrap and store in the freezer.
    Variations
    • If you’d like to vary the topping on the cake, you can sprinkle 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans across the frosting.
    • Alternatively, you can make cinnamon cream cheese frosting by adding ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the powdered sugar prior to prepping the frosting.
    • Make vanilla frosting, add 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the frosting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 465mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on September 11, 2014. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Comments

    1. Melissa

      July 29, 2023 at 10:27 am

      5 stars
      This cake is excellent. Used up some excess summer zucchini & we didn’t bring one bite home from the potluck. I also froze one cake (unfrosted) for a quick dessert some day in the future.

      Reply

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