Zucchini Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is a deliciously sweet and moist cake that is a must have this summer!
A Must-Bake Summer Cake
I’m gonna get straight to it on this one, y’all! This Zucchini Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is amazing! A must-bake this summer while zucchini is in abundance!
This cake is so moist from 2 packed cups of shredded zucchini. And it’s perfectly sweet from the rich cream cheese frosting. A hint of cinnamon in both the cake and frosting brings it to a whole new level of deliciousness that you just have to taste to believe!
We’re pretty much eating zucchini at every meal these days because it’s so cheap, fresh and nutritious! I shred it into pancakes for breakfast, cut it into sticks for dipping in hummus at lunch, grill it alongside chicken breasts for dinner, and of course, bake it into a yummy cake that we can eat for dessert all week long!
Perfect Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
If you’ve never made cream cheese frosting with a touch of cinnamon, this is your sign to try it. Every single person I’ve served this cake to has immediately let out a long “mmmm” after their first bite and didn’t put their forks down until the last bite was gone! It’s that great!
Icing, Frosting and Glaze: What’s the difference?
What’s the difference between icing, frosting and glaze? It’s so easy to get confused! Because depending on where you’re from, these terms might be used interchangeably. Frosting is soft and spreadable.
The difference between it and icing is mostly texture and what you do with it. But here’s a crash course on the differences between icing, frosting and glaze and when to use them.
- Icing is thin, made from powdered sugar, milk and sometimes a flavoring, like vanilla. It firms up as it dries but stays pliable. You drizzle icing on cinnamon rolls and scones.
- Glaze is also thin but it hardens almost completely as it dries. It’s typically made from powdered sugar, sometimes butter, and a liquid (like milk, water, or juice). You glaze a donut.
- Frosting is soft, creamy and spreadable. It’s usually made from butter or cream cheese, confectioners sugar and flavorings. You frost cakes and cupcakes.
What Do I Need to Make Zucchini Cake?
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- Canola oil
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk
- Shredded zucchini
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Cinnamon sugar
- 9×13-inch baking dish
More Must-Make Zucchini Recipes
- Baked Zucchini Chips: Bake sliced zucchini into crispy chips for a healthier summer snack of Baked Zucchini Chips that everyone will love! Coated in panko and parmesan, these chips are crisp with a slight chew in the middle.
- Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies: Zucchini, dark chocolate and whole wheat flour come together to make these Dark Chocolate Zucchini Brownies rich, delicious and nutritious.
- Zucchini Sweet Corn Muffins: Two favorite summer veggies baked into these marvelous Zucchini Sweet Corn Muffins. They’re perfect for an afternoon snack or alongside some grilled meat and a salad for a delish dinner.
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Zucchini Bread: Summer and fall favorites collide in this moist and delicious sweet bread that’s loaded with nutritious pumpkin, zucchini and whole wheat flour.
How to Make Zucchini Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the melted butter, oil and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Slowly beat in the buttermilk
- Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir to combine.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat until well combined.
- Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until well combined and frosting is thick yet spreadable. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if the frosting needs to be thinner for spreading over the cake.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Serve and enjoy!
More Sheet Cakes You’ll Love
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake: Pumpkin and spice and all things nice baked into a moist Pumpkin Sheet Cake that will serve a crowd and is crowd-pleasing!
- Chocolate Sheet Cake With Chocolate Pecan Icing: A super moist chocolate sheet cake covered in a rich chocolate pecan icing that’s out-of-this-world delicious!
- Coconut Cream Sheet Cake: A moist Coconut Cream Sheet Cake using coconut oil, coconut milk and sweetened coconut flakes to make it extra coconut-ty and out-of-this world delicious!
- Key Lime Sheet Cake: A refreshing cake with lots of tangy lime flavor in both the cake and the icing. Lime lovers will crave it!
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake: For all my fellow chocolate lovers out there, this incredibly moist cake will knock your socks off!
How to Store Zucchini Cake
Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days and then in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This cake can be frozen for up to 2 months, but I recommend slicing it into individual slices and wrapping each slice in plastic wrap to protect it from freezer burn.
If you make this Zucchini Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see.😍 I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Zucchini Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12
- Category: Dessert
Description
Deliciously moist zucchini cake that’s covered in the most irresistible cinnamon-spiked cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk, if needed
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the melted butter, oil and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Slowly beat in the buttermilk and then the flour mixture. Fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until well combined and frosting is thick yet spreadable. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if the frosting needs to be thinner for spreading over the cake.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
This recipe was originally posted on July 5, 2014 and then republished with new photography.
The recipe does not state when to add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Should they be added after the butter milk, but before the zucchini? Thank you! This cake looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Jessica! Thanks so much for catching that. Yes, you’ll add it after the buttermilk. I just updated the recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
I HAD to come over after seeing your gorgeous instagram photo of this cake. It looks insanely moist ‘n fluffy, the perfect way to use up all the summer zucchini. And I could DRINK that cream cheese frosting. Heading over to print out your recipe from the Gold Medal Flour page!