Thursday, October 14, 2010

Eat Your Cake and Have Your Veggies Too

zuchini-spice-cake For those of you that haven’t tried zucchini in cake form, now is the time.  Or is zucchini season over?  I’m not sure but if you can get your hands on some I highly recommend giving this zucchini spice cake recipe a try.  Top it with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and you’ve got a winner.

spiced-zuchini-cake

I know I’ve already mentioned but if you haven’t been to Lori’s blog yet you really need to.  Lori is super genuine and has wonderful recipes especially if you’d like to broaden your taste and skill level.

Zucchini Spice Cake w/ Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, adapted from Lori’s Lip Smacking Goodness

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin), I used vegetable oil
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
In a larger bowl combine oil, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix in dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Fold in zucchini.  Pour into 9" square and bake for about 55 to an hour*. Cool to room temp, then frost.

*I cooked mine for 44 minutes and in all honesty I should have taken it out 2 or 3 minutes earlier.  You know your oven adjust the time accordingly.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temp
4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, I used 1 generous tsp

Beat butter and cream cheese together.  Add confectioners sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and beat until combined.  You can adjust the amount of confectioners sugar to get the thickness of frosting you desire.

For a printable recipe, click here!

46 comments:

♥peachkins♥ said...

deeelicious!!!!

Delishhh said...

Ok i have been looking for another ingredient than pumpkin lately and this is a great substituation. Awesome. Thanks for the great recipe.

Julie said...

I should take the plunge and make a zucchini cake. It looks delish. I always add extra cinnamon too :)

Nikki (Pennies on a Platter) said...

Hey! I'm all about getting my veggie intake this way!! :)

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A wonderful cake! What great flavors. Perfect with my tea...

Cheers,

Rosa

cocoa and coconut said...

You're right!! I must try it while zucchinis are good. It looks so moist

Heather Baird said...

I love zucchini cake! I've never had it with cream cheese frosting though. Sounds yummy!

Debbie said...

One word -- YUM!!!! It looks great Ingrid. I love Lori's blog too....

oneordinaryday said...

Great pics. The cake looks super moist, which is what I love about baking with zucchini. Wish I could come over!

amanda @ fake ginger said...

I've been looking for a good zucchini cake recipe and this one looks delicious! Yum!

Karen @ Mignardise said...

I made one just like this. I can vouch for its deliciousness!

Faith said...

Zucchini is still available here so I'm hoping to give this one a try! Looks delicious Ingrid!

Me and My Pink Mixer said...

Oh yum ~ you know how I love zucchini!! I'll have to put this recipe in my file for next summer when I get all my freebie zucchini. Happy Friday :)

Avril said...

I love Lori's blog! - just like I adore yours too Ingrid!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe....I've made it myself and everyone I served it to feel head over heals into "yummy land" after taking their first bite....soooo good!

Happy Friday!
~avril :-)

kimberleyblue said...

I love a good, spicy zucchini cake, especially with cream cheese frosting. The texture in yours looks prefect - just dense enough, just moist enough. And that layer of frosting looks like the ideal amount.

Robin said...

In a cake is the only way I will ever eat zucchini!

Keeley said...

I like zucchini in any form, including baked in cake and topped with cream cheese frosting!

Now, if you keep posting such beautiful and realistic food photos I will be forced to go purchase a DSLR camera!

Cristine said...

So I just made that zucchini/pineapple cake that I posted but now I want to try this one! YUM!

Julie m. said...

Ingrid, This is exactly what I'm in the mood for! I love zucchini in dessert form. I do a lot of bread, but haven't done it in cake form yet. It looks so good and I love the cinnamon cream cheese frosting; great idea!

Mimi said...

Lori post some great recipes. I had bookmark this one too, but I haven't gotten around to making it. Maybe I should just come over to your house for a piece.
Mimi

Lori said...

I have been trying to leave a message on your blog all morning but blogger wont seem to let me.

I am so honored to read what you have wrote- along with some of the commenters. I am really blushing right now. And you have no idea but I needed that little boost right now. Thank you.

Ingrid you are a very sweet person who I know I would just get along with famously.

Joyti said...

Ooo, that sound so delicious! And looks very nice too.

The Blonde Duck said...

I'm all about veggies w/ icing.

Unknown said...

Looks fantastic! I never know what is in season ebing such a new cook myself. Thanks for the new blog to follow.

Pam said...

I am loving this one! Bookmarked.

Donna-FFW said...

What a great find! Lori is lovely as is her blog!!

It looks fabulous Ingrid and the flavor combo with the frosting.. MMMMM!

Reeni said...

I made zucchini spice cake for the first time this year and it was surprisingly good. This look great Ingrid! Especially with the cream cheese frosting.

cookies and cups said...

This would definitely count as my veggie serving for the day :)..dairy to..cream cheese, yummmm!

Amanda said...

This look wonderful Ingrid. I stopped by Lori's blog, she has one of my favorite songs playing :) My foot's still tappin'! I still have some zucchini in my freezer and need to use it up. I agree that cake made with zucchini is wonderful :)

Lisa said...

Ingrid, I cannot thank you enough for all of your help! You are NOT a loser, just an amazing woman who took time out of her busy day to help a numbskull..lol

Even though I'm still not thrilled with them (only natural light will take care of that at this point), you motivated me with your photographic genius :) I'll call you tomorrow!

BTW..watching awesome Yankee comeback! I hope it holds!!!

Oh, gorgeous zuke cake and photos. LOVE the touch of the cinnamon whipped cream. Currently working on a 'quatro' leches cake :)

Lisa said...

Err..I meant cinnmaon cream cheese frosting. I'm all over the place tonight LOL

Lucie said...

I could eat zucchini cake all day long. I usually make it plain but the cinnamon cream cheese frosting sounds like a great way to round things off!

Heather S-G said...

I'm all for eating my veggies...sign me up ;) Looks great!

Unknown said...

This cake looks moist and delicious! And the sound of that frosting just pushes it over the edge. Yum. Thanks for sharing!

Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer said...

This is always a fave, I love spiced cakes and cream cheese frosting. I have been hunting for something like this, I want a zhuccini/carrot cake. Anyideas?

bridget {bake at 350} said...

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting? Yes, please!!!

Foodiewife said...

Isn't this on the food pyramid? What a great snacking cake. Luckily, I can buy zucchini pretty much year-round. Mmmm.

Monica H said...

You know I love adding zucchini to cake- it makes it healthy! ha!

Your photos keep getting better and better. Great job Ingrid!

Jaime said...

i love it when you can sneak veggies into dessert :) i am trying to come up with a low sugar but tasty treat for my baby's 1st bday cake... any thoughts? this one or a carrot cake? of course i guess there is no way to get around lots of powdered sugar in the frosting....or should i do whipped cream? or should i say screw it all, you only turn 1 once?! :)

Abby said...

I love zucchini any way you make it! And that frosting is to-die-for!

Leslie said...

Diet cake? Oh yeah!!! lol

Unknown said...

I've never really tried baking with zucchini, but that cake looks delicious :D

Crepes of Wrath said...

Your zucchini cake looks amazing! I made some recently, but I hated the photos, so I never posted it. Yours is inspiring me to try again!

grace said...

would you think less of me if i told you that i'd require about three times as much frosting on mine? :)

Kalei's Best Friend said...

omg, this looks great!. another bookmarked recipe!. thank u.

naomi said...

Confession time: I have never made zuchinni bread, but I most definitely love it.

I like the cream cheese addition. Guess who is going to try to find some zuchinni now?!