A moist and soft zucchini cake that only needs 4 ingredients. This cake also doesn’t require any eggs. This is an easy one-bowl recipe and you don’t even need a mixer. This cake can be made ahead of time and is easy to customize.
This cake is such a great way to use up zucchini. The zucchini makes the cake very moist but you won’t taste the zucchini. This is a basic zucchini cake but you can also customize it with spice or chopped nuts to suit your personal preferences.
Ingredients
- Self-rising flour
- Zucchini
- Butter
- Sugar
Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is all purpose flour that is already premixed with baking powder and salt. I always have self-rising flour in my pantry as I like that it saves me a few extra steps. If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can also easily make your own.
Zucchini: This recipe uses fresh zucchini which is thinly shredded. You want the shreds to be very thin so that they melt into the cake and you don’t taste the zucchini when the cake is done cooking.
Butter: Melted butter gives this cake a soft crumb.
Sugar: Regular granulated white sugar is used to sweeten the cake.
How to Make Zucchini Cake
- The melted butter, sugar and zucchini are first mixed together. The flour is then folded into the batter with a spatula until the flour is fully incorporated.
- The batter is then poured into your prepared baking pan and ready to be baked.
- If desired you can add a cream cheese frosting on top after the cake is done but that is completely optional.
Cake Texture
The cake is sweet and moist. Even though the cake doesn’t contain any eggs, you won’t be able to tell. You can add chopped nuts for more texture. I added some chopped pistachios for garnish to match with the color of the cake. Some people also enjoy cinnamon flavor in their zucchini cake and you can add that as well.
More Zucchini Recipes
4 Ingredient Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (237 g) thinly shredded zucchini do not drain or remove water, see note before starting
- 1 1/2 cups (295 g) granulated white sugar
- 6 tbsp (84 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 ½ cups + 2 tbsp (339 g) self-rising flour see note before starting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal later.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the zucchini, sugar and melted butter until evenly combined. Add the flour and fold it in with a spatula until flour is completely incorporated. It may seem at first that you have too much flour and not enough wet ingredients, but as you continue to fold, you will see that the flour will continue to be incorporated. Keep folding until the flour is fully mixed into the batter and there are no pockets of unmixed flour and no large flour/starch clumps. Make sure to only use a spatula to mix and not a whisk or beater. The batter will be very thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The surface of the cake should also bounce back if you press on it lightly.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding frosting or cutting and serving
Notes
- Zucchini: You want to shred the zucchini very thinly, the thinnest it can be without it breaking apart. I used the second smallest set of holes on my box grater (the smallest is a zest setting). Do not drain any water from the zucchini after you are done shredding. Include it when measuring the zucchini.
- Self-rising flour: This recipe was tested with Gold Medal brand self-rising flour*. There is a varying amount of protein content for different brands of self-rising flour which will affect the texture and outcome of the bread. Gold Medal self-rising flour contains 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. Please use a brand of self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup for this bread.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: If you don't have self-rising flour you can also make homemade self-rising flour. Make sure your all purpose flour has 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup. Most all purpose flours contain 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup but there are some brands that contain higher or lower protein amounts which will affect the recipe.
- Combine 3 cups all purpose flour, 4 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt. Whisk together until evenly combined. Measure 2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp for the recipe. Save the remaining flour for another recipe.
- This is a basic zucchini cake. If you like cinnamon flavor you can add 1 tsp of cinnamon to the cake. If you like chopped nuts in your zucchini cake, you can stir in 1/4 cup of chopped nuts after the flour is incorporated.
- Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese (brick type), softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- To make the frosting: Add butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy and light. Add vanilla extract and mix in on low speed. Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar on low speed until completely combined. Add enough powdered sugar for a thick frosting that is still spreadable over the cake. Start with 3 cups and add more if needed. This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting. You likely won't need it all but I wanted to include enough for those who prefer a very thick layer of frosting.
- For the cake in the photos, we also sprinkled some chopped pistachios.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
On any of your great recipes that use self rising flour can you use almond, coconutflour with adding the baking powder and salt.
We have not tested our recipes with those substitutes!