Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
Published: August 26, 2022Author: Camille Beckstrand
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
A delicious spiced zucchini cake topped with thick, fluffy cream cheese frosting- the perfect dessert! This recipe will quickly become a family favorite.
Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is probably one of the best zucchini cakes I have ever had. It is so moist and wonderfully paired with our perfect cream cheese frosting.

The cinnamon even gives that nice kick of flavor that pulls it all together. If you haven’t tried zucchini in a dessert recipe, this is the one to try!

Slice of Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting on a plate with fork

You can also try some of our other awesome zucchini recipes to use up all of those beautiful zucchini from your garden. Be sure to check out our Zucchini Whoopie Pie Cookies recipe, Double Chocolate Zucchini Cookies recipe, and our Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

These recipes might even be your best chance at getting your kids to have some vegetables for the day if you have a picky eater. 😉

Ingredients for Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients for this Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

  1. Eggs
  2. Vegetable oil
  3. Apple sauce
  4. Sugar
  5. Brown sugar
  6. Vanilla extract
  7. Flour
  8. Baking powder
  9. Baking soda
  10. Cinnamon
  11. Salt
  12. Nutmeg
  13. Zucchini (shredded)
  14. Cream cheese
  15. Butter
  16. Powdered sugar

Before you make your frosting you might want to take a look at this list of 10 common cake frosting mistakes to avoid from My Recipes. 

Everything else you need for this delicious zucchini dessert:

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 9×13 inch baking pan
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Hand mixer (THIS one works great!)
  • Rubber spatula
  • Toothpick
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Metal icing spatula (Like THESE ones)

“I have so much time!” -No mom ever

Let us give you your time back. With the Six Sisters’ Meal Plans, we do the dinner planning, grocery ordering, and then all you have to do is decide whether to pick them up or have them delivered.

Get My Meal Plans NOW!

Love cooking as much as we do? Join our FREE private Facebook Group: Six Sisters’ Dinner Club!

Fast and easy meals for your family!

Our latest cookbook – Six Ingredients with Six Sisters’ Stuff –  is all about using a few ingredients to make a delicious dinner! With only 6 ingredients or less per recipe in this cookbook, cooking has never been easier!

Six Ingredients with Six Sisters' Stuff Cook Book

Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.

Whether you are a cook just starting out or a busy parent looking to save time in the kitchen, this cookbook is for you! It’s full of entrees, side dishes, and desserts.

With our favorite one-pot wings dish or a no-bake peanut butter bar, this cookbook is a fool-proof solution to meal planning. It also features kid-friendly chapters such as Kid Favorites and Kids Can Cook.

We are so excited to share these recipes with you. Order your copy today!

SIX INGREDIENTS with Six Sisters’ Stuff <—– Click here to order!

How to make Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

When starting to make this recipe, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray your 9×13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Then, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, vegetable oil, apple sauce, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until everything is completely combined.

Next, add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and continue beating the batter together.

Cinnamon Zucchini Cake batter in a bowl with shredded zucchini

Once all of those ingredients are combined, fold in the shredded zucchini and stir it until it is completely mixed into the batter.

PRO TIP: Be sure to pour out any excess liquid from your zucchini after you shred it to make sure to get the right consistency, but there is no need to pat it dry. 

Now, pour the batter into the prepared 9×13 pan and bake it in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in it and it comes out clean.

Batter for Cinnamon Zucchini Cake in a 9x13 glass dish

After the cake is done cooling prepare your frosting.

Mix together the softened cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

Once the frosting is smooth and well combined spread it over top of the cooled zucchini cake evenly.

Frosting the Cinnamon Zucchini Cake

If you want, you can also top the cake with a nice cinnamon sugar mix.

Cut, serve, and enjoy your delicious cake.

Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting sliced into squares. One slice on a white plate

MORE OF OUR SWEET TREATS TO TRY!

Did you know we have a YouTube channel? We created it just for you, to show you how simple and delicious our recipes are. We take you through each recipe, step by step, and show you exactly how to make it.

We answer all your questions and help you get the recipe, perfect, each and every time you make it.

If you are looking for more simple and delicious recipes, head over to our channel and check them out. We love baking, and one of our favorite things to bake is our Mom’s Famous Marshmallow Brownies.

Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting sliced into squares

TRY THESE AMAZING THINGS TO MAKE WITH ZUCCHINI! 

Serves: 15

Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

We have found the best way to eat zucchini: in our amazing Cinnamon Zucchini Cake! This recipe will quickly become a family favorite.
Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package)
  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Beat eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl.
  • Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and mix well.
  • Fold in zucchini and stir until completely mixed in. Pour batter into prepared 9 x 13 inch pan.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • While the cake cools, mix together frosting ingredients and spread over the top of the cooled cake.
  • If desired, sprinkle the top of the cake with cinnamon and sugar.

Notes

  • We do not peel the zucchini when we shred it but if you prefer it peeled it will still work in the recipe.
     

Nutrition

Calories: 392 kcal · Carbohydrates: 64 g · Protein: 5 g · Fat: 14 g · Saturated Fat: 10 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 49 mg · Sodium: 424 mg · Potassium: 139 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 46 g · Vitamin A: 262 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 50 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • 9×13-inch Baking Pan
  • Large Bowl
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Hand mixer

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Recipe inspired by Gold Medal Flour

Be sure to not miss another recipe! Follow Six Sisters’ Stuff on Instagram|Facebook|Pinterest|YouTube

If you made our recipe be sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see your hard work using #sixsistersstuff.

Leave a Review!

We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or review here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*.

Rate This Recipe!




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Anne says:
    September 22, 2014
    This cake looks and sounds YUMMY! I think I'll try making it in a bundt pan.
  2. Lauren says:
    September 22, 2014
    That frosting looks so delicious!
  3. Connie Abney says:
    September 25, 2014
    Just wanted to say I received your new book 12 days of Christmas six sister stuff yesterday and I LOVE it!!!!
  4. Donna Lesondak says:
    October 4, 2014
    Just made this....Delicious!!!
  5. Sandra :) says:
    July 7, 2015
    My neighbour pinned this recipe yesterday, and sent me a link to it. I informed her that I don't like zucchini, so she brought me over a nice piece of the cake she made earlier today. I ended up having to - unreservedly - apologize to any and all zucchini I may have insulted with my comment ;) WOW this cake was good! She's going to give me a zucchini from her garden so I can make one myself - what a great recipe this is! Sandra :) P.S. It's great having a neighbour who likes to bake - she passes us goodies over our shared fence, and we do NOT mind :D
  6. Cyd says:
    July 14, 2015
    Those are the best neighbors! I'm glad you left the dark side and into the light with the rest of us zucchini lovers! (At least we will eat it disguised in recipes!!)
  7. Miriam says:
    July 23, 2015
    This recipe is awesome! I made this cake for my family, and they all raved about it! When baking this cake, I was unable to find my bundt pan (which not surprisingly, I found when putting my other pans way), so I used a 9 x 13. Once baked and cooled, I split the sheet in half and stacked the two halves with icing in between. It made for some weird dimensions but that did not take away from the taste. It was so moist and light! Loved it! Will definitely be baking this again!
  8. Laurie says:
    August 4, 2015
    This looks and sounds delicious! I can't wait to make it this week end!
  9. Cheslie says:
    August 4, 2015
    I am at work and I am drooling over this picture! I love zucchini and I so want to make this cake. But i am cutting back on all purpose flour. Can I substitute it with whole wheat flour instead?
  10. Cyd says:
    August 10, 2015
    We have never made this cake with whole wheat flour, but I googled it for you and this is what came up: Whole-wheat flour will make your baked products denser and heavier than all- purpose flour does. Substituting whole wheat flour for white flour takes a little experimentation, but you will almost always be successful if you use ¾ cup of whole wheat flour to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out.
  11. Tresa Hays says:
    August 30, 2015
    Do you drain the shredded zucchini?
  12. Candice says:
    September 6, 2015
    Has anyone ever tried this as a sheet cake? Just wondering if there would be enough frosting?
  13. Cyd says:
    September 14, 2015
    Just drain slightly. We didn't try to squeeze all of the liquid out, just any excess liquid.
  14. Joni says:
    September 21, 2015
    This was really good...a super moist cake...Icing was not too sweet...just the way we like it. Big hit at my house.
  15. Sarah says:
    July 21, 2016
    I am so excited to make this for my daughters third fall theme birthday!!
  16. Samantha says:
    July 31, 2016
    Did you use unsweetened applesauce?
  17. Cyd says:
    August 3, 2016
    Either will work fine.
  18. Jenny says:
    August 12, 2016
    Just made this cake.It was great I didn't have applesauce so I used canned pumpkin. Added golden raisins and pecans. Delicious.
  19. Camilla says:
    August 29, 2016
    Hoping to make this for my daughters 2nd birthday! Do you think the recipe would work for making a layered cake? Like two 8" or 9" pans?
  20. Jude says:
    August 30, 2016
    Made this tonight and omg it's amazing. I think next time I'll try making cupcakes for easier handling. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
  21. Theresa says:
    August 30, 2016
    I just wanted to know if I can make this zucchini Cake recipe in a bundt pan?
  22. SARA says:
    September 3, 2016
    Any changes needed for cupcakes? How long to bake?
  23. Cyd says:
    September 6, 2016
    You will need to watch it closely. Not sure what the cook time would be for cupcakes. The cake is 40 minutes. Cupcakes would be less than that.
  24. Cyd says:
    September 6, 2016
    Hi Theresa, We haven't made it in a bundt pan, but it should work just fine. You would need to watch it closely as far as the length of cooking time goes.
  25. Cyd says:
    September 6, 2016
    That should work fine. Just watch the cake closely because the cooking time could be different.
  26. Fran says:
    September 12, 2016
    I made this cinnamon zucchini cake over the weekend. Well it was absolutely delicious. I made mine in 2 separate 8×8 pans and shared one with a friend. She called and asked for the recipe. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
  27. Cyd says:
    September 14, 2016
    Thanks Fran for the sweet comment! You made our day. Thanks so much for stopping by our blog! Have a great week!
  28. Belinda says:
    June 30, 2018
    Is there a substitute ingredient I can use instead of white sugar? I'll be using whole wheat flour as well. I'm going to make a cake without frosting & one the regular recipe.
  29. Monica says:
    July 24, 2018
    Made it this morning and gosh was it moist and delicious. This was my first zucchini bread recipe and I am looking forward to making it again soon.
  30. Cyd says:
    July 25, 2018
    So glad it you liked it! Here are some of our favorite zucchini recipes - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/chocolate-zucchini-bread-recipe/ https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/chocolate-zucchini-cake-2/ https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/dark-chocolate-zucchini-brownies-recipe/ https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/chocolate-zucchini-sheet-cake/
  31. Dale Hochevar says:
    September 17, 2018
    Can you use more oil if you don't have applesauce?
  32. Cyd says:
    September 19, 2018
    Hi Dale. We have only made this with applesauce. But from everything I have read, the oil should work in place of the applesauce.
  33. Denver says:
    October 19, 2018
    What can you sub for applesauce
  34. Denver says:
    October 19, 2018
    How much oil
  35. Lindsey says:
    November 7, 2018
    Love this cake! I making it for the second time but cupcakes this time! I am curious if I can substitute regular flour for coconut flour? Any thoughts there?
  36. Kathy says:
    July 7, 2019
    Do you peel the zucchini?
  37. Cyd says:
    August 12, 2019
    We do not peel the zucchini when we shred it.
  38. J Darlene says:
    August 13, 2019
    Going to try this fabulous looking Recipe today, always do Zucchini Bread. But was seeking something a tad different. Excited to try...will let you know if it was a hit. Sure it will be:)
  39. Cheryl says:
    August 22, 2019
    Absolutely loved this cake! Kudos to you. I was wondering, could I make this as muffins?
  40. Cheryl says:
    August 22, 2019
    This cake was great! It was moist and tasty. Husband liked it. Very easy to make. I did add about 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. Used my first zucchini harvest of the year! Frosting is yum. Thanks!
  41. Lindsey Abendroth says:
    August 25, 2019
    Seriously the best cake mix! I made this recipe into cupcakes before and I craved these until I made them again tonight! So dang moist and the frosting is perfect. I did add some cinnamon to the frosting as well. I cooked the cupcakes for about 16-18 mins and it made roughly 24 cupcakes. I will forever crave this awesome recipe! Thank you! 😘
  42. Cyd says:
    August 29, 2019
    Yah! This is what we love to hear. Thanks Lindsey for leaving a comment. We are so glad you like the recipe. We love the adjustments you have made!! Have a great weekend.
  43. Cyd says:
    August 29, 2019
    It should work as muffins, but we have not yet tried it so we can't offer you any helpful tips.
  44. Marla says:
    September 10, 2019
    Pumpkin
  45. Sherry says:
    June 4, 2020
    This cake recipe is awesome! I used cinnamon applesauce and it was delicious! This is a keeper for me! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
  46. Tina says:
    August 4, 2020
    What can I use instead of oil
  47. Cyd says:
    August 4, 2020
    Here is a link with options for subbing out the vegetable oil in a recipe. https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/oil-substitute/
  48. nicole says:
    August 16, 2020
    Is this kosher. I want to make it for a friend.
  49. Kerri Siex says:
    August 20, 2020
    Just made this gluten free, using Bloomfield Farms all purpose, gf flour. The only changes I made were to let the batter sit in the pan for 30 minutes prior to baking and baked for 55 minutes in a 9X13. Absolutely perfect!
  50. Kathy Johnson says:
    August 20, 2020
    I'm excited to try this! I don’t see the box to save to my recipes?
  51. Trina L. says:
    August 20, 2020
    Hi. Just noticed in the ingredients it didn’t list baking powder, but in the instructions it does list it (step 3). Does it make a difference with or without? I didn’t add it and it seemed to turn out fine. Love the cream cheese frosting with it!
  52. Kristin says:
    August 21, 2020
    The ingredients list doesn’t give a measurement for baking powder, but the directions say to use baking powder. Can you revise with the baking powder amount?
  53. Tasha says:
    August 22, 2020
    This looks amazing! Just wondering how much baking powder to use? Hoping to make this later today!
  54. Lindsey says:
    August 23, 2020
    Do you have to refrigerate leftovers?
  55. Carissa Doolhoff says:
    August 25, 2020
    Wondering the same thing
  56. Cyd Adamson says:
    August 27, 2020
    Thanks so much for catching that. It's 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
  57. Cyd Adamson says:
    August 27, 2020
    We fixed the recipe. It's 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.
  58. Connie says:
    September 1, 2020
    This cake is delicious and easy especially for using zucchini thank you for posting
  59. Avie says:
    September 2, 2020
    I substituted crushed pineapple for the applesauce which I didn't have any of at the time. It came out great! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
  60. Arnetta Frishman says:
    November 22, 2020
    I am thankful that I found this web site, exactly the right info that I was searching for! .
  61. Lisa says:
    August 25, 2021
    Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. This one is a keeper
  62. Sheri Gabrelcik says:
    September 13, 2021
    I made this delightful cake tonight, it is the best cake I have ever made!
BuzzFeedElleGlamourHuffington PostParentingTaste of HomeToday Show