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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!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make our cinnamon zucchini cake, you need the following ingredients:
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Apple sauce
- Sugar
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Zucchini (shredded)
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Our Cinnamon Zucchini Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉. 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.
Recipe Notes
- Storage Suggestions: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days and then in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Tips: 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.
- Eliminate Extra Liquid: 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.
Enjoy More Delicious Cake Recipes
Some days there’s nothing we want more than a slice of chocolate cake. Check out our comprehensive list of cake recipes here.
- Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake
- Sheet Pan Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sheet Pan Zucchini Cake with Frosting
Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This cinnamon zucchini cake is a moist summer dessert made with garden-fresh zucchini and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Serving servings
Ingredients
Cinnamon Zucchini Cake
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup applesauce
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, (1 package)
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. 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
Storage Suggestions: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days and then in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer Tips: 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.
Eliminate Extra Liquid: 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.
Zucchini Prep: We do not peel the zucchini when we shred it but if you prefer it peeled it will still work in the recipe.
Recipe inspired by Gold Medal Flour.
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
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
This cake looks and sounds YUMMY! I think I’ll try making it in a bundt pan.
That frosting looks so delicious!
Just wanted to say I received your new book 12 days of Christmas six sister stuff yesterday and I LOVE it!!!!
Just made this….Delicious!!!
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 😀
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!!)
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!
This looks and sounds delicious! I can’t wait to make it this week end!
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?
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.
Do you drain the shredded zucchini?
Has anyone ever tried this as a sheet cake? Just wondering if there would be enough frosting?
Just drain slightly. We didn’t try to squeeze all of the liquid out, just any excess liquid.
This was really good…a super moist cake…Icing was not too sweet…just the way we like it. Big hit at my house.
I am so excited to make this for my daughters third fall theme birthday!!
Did you use unsweetened applesauce?
Either will work fine.
Just made this cake.It was great I didn’t have applesauce so I used canned pumpkin. Added golden raisins and pecans. Delicious.
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?
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!
I just wanted to know if I can make this zucchini Cake recipe in a bundt pan?
Any changes needed for cupcakes? How long to bake?
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.
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.
That should work fine. Just watch the cake closely because the cooking time could be different.
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.
Thanks Fran for the sweet comment! You made our day. Thanks so much for stopping by our blog! Have a great week!
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.
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.
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/
Can you use more oil if you don’t have applesauce?
Hi Dale. We have only made this with applesauce. But from everything I have read, the oil should work in place of the applesauce.
What can you sub for applesauce
How much oil
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?
Do you peel the zucchini?
We do not peel the zucchini when we shred it.
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:)
Absolutely loved this cake! Kudos to you. I was wondering, could I make this as muffins?
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!
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! 😘
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.
It should work as muffins, but we have not yet tried it so we can’t offer you any helpful tips.
Pumpkin
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.
What can I use instead of oil
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/
Is this kosher. I want to make it for a friend.
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!
I’m excited to try this! I don’t see the box to save to my recipes?
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!
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?
This looks amazing! Just wondering how much baking powder to use? Hoping to make this later today!
Do you have to refrigerate leftovers?
Wondering the same thing
Thanks so much for catching that. It’s 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
We fixed the recipe. It’s 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.
This cake is delicious and easy especially for using zucchini thank you for posting
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!
I am thankful that I found this web site, exactly the right info that I was searching for! .
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. This one is a keeper
I made this delightful cake tonight, it is the best cake I have ever made!