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With warm, cozy spices and an irresistible orange cream cheese glaze, this zucchini bundt cake is without a doubt the BEST way to put your summer zucchini harvest to use. So moist and delicious!
If we’re being honest with ourselves – zucchini bread is basically cake. And if zucchini bread is basically cake, then shouldn’t we just bake it in a Bundt pan, slather it in cream cheese glaze, and call it a zucchini cake?
The answer is YES, yes we should.
Looking for more zucchini as dessert recipes? Try our chocolate zucchini muffins.
Ingredient Notes
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Soften the butter and cream cheese before starting the recipe. Softened butter will blend in more smoothly with the rest of the batter and it holds more air when whipped; the same is true of cream cheese and you won’t get those little lumps of unmixed cream cheese in your frosting.
- If your powdered sugar is lumpy, go ahead and sift it first. It’s easier to not have lumps in the first place than to have to try to break them apart after you’ve mixed your frosting.
- Wring out the zucchini well after you shred it. Zucchini has a high water content, so if you don’t wring it out, your cake will be too wet and won’t bake properly. Wrap it in a clean kitchen towel (that you don’t mind potentially turning green) and wring it until no more liquid drips out.
- Let the zucchini cake cool completely before frosting. If you try to frost a warm or even a slightly warm cake, some of the frosting will slide off and the rest will melt into the cake. Is it still delicious? Yes. Does it look good? No!
- If you don’t have a Bundt pan, you can use a 9×13 baking dish and bake the zucchini cake for 35 for 40 minutes.
Zucchini Bundt Cake With Cream Cheese Icing
With warm, cozy spices and an irresistible orange cream cheese glaze, this zucchini bundt cake is without a doubt the BEST way to put your summer zucchini harvest to use. So moist and delicious!
Equipment
- bundt pan
- baking rack
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter {room temperature}
- 1/3 cup oil {mild olive oil, coconut, avocado, vegetable}
- 2 1/3 cups shredded zucchini, packed {drained of excess water}{~2 small zucchini}
- 2 eggs {room temperature}
- 2 tsp grated orange zest {~1 medium orange}
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup orange juice
Instructions
Make Zucchini Cake
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.cooking spray
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream together sugar, butter, and oil. Mix on medium-high until light and fluffy.3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup salted butter, 1/3 cup oil
- Reduce the mixer to low and add in the shredded zucchini, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.2 1/3 cups shredded zucchini, packed, 2 eggs, 2 tsp grated orange zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spoon cake batter into the bundt pan. Smooth the top of the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Place a wire baking rack over the top of the cake, and invert both the pan and rack together to release the cake.
Make Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cake is baking, combine cream cheese and butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium until soft and fluffy.3 oz cream cheese, softened, 3 tbsp butter, softened
- Reduce the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.3/4 cup powdered sugar
- Add in the vanilla extract and orange juice and slowly increase the mixer speed to medium or medium-high until well combined.1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/3 cup orange juice
- Pour/spread the frosting over cooled cake that has been transferred to a clean plate.
Notes
- No bundt pan? You can use a 9×13 baking dish. Bake cake for 35-40 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 313kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 231mgPotassium: 158mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 405IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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