I love brainstorming new recipes for the holiday season, and this year, I really wanted to come up with a dessert to switch things up. I wanted something that still tasted like the holidays with that warm and fuzzy feeling but was outside of the usual pumpkin pie. This recipe for zucchini spice cake was one I tested on a whim, crossed my fingers that it would taste great, and really just went for it. And I’m happy to report it’s absolutely amazing and one of the softest, most delectable spice cakes you will ever eat.
The ingredients are super simple and gluten- and dairy-free, which is awesome for anyone you may be baking for — it’s a cake that caters to all! I used almond flour and coconut flour combined because I love the consistency and flavor, but feel free to use any gluten-free (or not) flour substitute.
Grating your zucchini is very important for this recipe — I used a block cheese grater, which I found was easy to handle and very quick. Make sure to fully strain your grated zucchini before adding it to your batter. Zucchini is very wet and carries a lot of moisture, which, if not strained well, can make your cake very soggy, especially when using more dense flours like almond and coconut. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, you can use two overlapped pieces of good-quality paper towel, wrap your zucchini up in it like a sac, and squeeze all the liquid through the paper towel. You’ll want to strain two to three times to ensure your zucchini is as dry as possible before adding to your batter.
I kept the skin on my zucchini before grating, but if you prefer without, feel free to peel before grating. The ingredients are hefty because I used a 9″x13″ sheet pan, which is a pretty large cake, so if you use something smaller, you may have excess batter, which you could simply make into muffins. I set my cake to bake for 25 minutes to start as you don’t want to overbake and lose the moist texture, so be sure to knife test it at 25 minutes and determine if it needs to bake a little longer. I baked mine for about seven more minutes and found it was perfect at about 32 minutes.
While your cake bakes, you can whip up the easy frosting. I recommend putting your frosting in the fridge for about 20-25 minutes to thicken before adding to your cake. Topping it with a thin layer of frosting gives this cake that final sweet touch, but it also tastes just as great without it. Serve this delicious treat during the holidays, and I promise everyone will be asking you for the recipe.
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
2 1/2 cups almond flour
2/3 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup vegetable oil (can also use melted coconut oil)
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups Stevia in the Raw
3 cups grated and strained zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium-large zucchinis)
- For the Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Stevia in the Raw
4 tablespoons vegan butter (melted)
3 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all your dry ingredients for your cake in a large bowl.
- Grate your zucchini, wrap it in a cheesecloth OR a few sheets of paper towel, and roll at the top to create a pouch around your zucchini. Squeeze as much water out as possible.
- Mix your wet ingredients in a separate bowl, then add in your zucchini.
- Mix your wet ingredients into your large bowl of dry ingredients, making sure to combine really well.
- Spray your baking pan with nonstick spray, and pour your batter in using a spatula to smooth and evenly disperse to all four corners of the pan.
- Bake for 25-32 minutes. Using a knife or toothpick, insert into your cake to test at 25 minutes to make sure you don’t overbake.
- While the cake is baking, mix your frosting ingredients together in a bowl and put in the fridge to thicken.
- Let your cake cool for about 25-30 minutes before icing (leave your frosting in the fridge until you are ready to ice your cake).
- Once cooled, spread frosting evenly across your sheet cake, making sure all four corners are covered; slice a piece for yourself; and enjoy!
Information
- Category
- Desserts, Cake
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 32 minutes
- Total Time
- 51 minutes, 59 seconds
