Bright lemon zest and garden-fresh zucchini together create a perfect balance of citrusy tang and moist, tender crumb. Elevate your baking experience with the marriage of vibrant flavors, making this Lemon Zucchini Cake a delightful treat for any occasion.
Table of Contents
Moist Lemon Cake
WOW. I didn’t expect to nail this recipe on the first test. Alas, the flavors we’re just WORKING. I love pairing lemon and zucchini together. They’re such bright and fresh ingredients that keep this cake light and fluffy and dare I say this is the best zucchini cake I've ever had😮.
I want to call this a snacking cake because one slice just isn’t enough. It is a simple yet satisfying baked treat that you can pick up and eat with your hands, dipped into your afternoon tea, or add a healthy dose of whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy with a fork or spoon as a tantalizing dessert.
And if you love this Lemon Zucchini Cake, I think you’ll also want to try these Dairy Free Lemon Bars or this Greek Yogurt Lemon Loaf, too which are also full of that lovely lemon flavor!
Recipe Ingredients
- Lemon - I used both lemon zest and lemon extract for the perfect lemony flavor. Fresh lemon juice alone won't give us the strong flavor we are going for.
- Greek Yogurt - Adding thick greek yogurt makes for a perfectly moist cake with a slight tang which is a really good thing with the lemon flavors.
- Shredded Zucchini - You'll need 1 medium garden zucchini, roughly equivalent to 1 cup. We want as much moisture drained as possible to avoid a soggy cake!
- Flour - I used all purpose flour and have not tried any substitutes. Gluten Free 1:1 baking flour should be fine.
- Powdered Sugar - AKA icing sugar will give you a much smoother glaze as compared to white sugar.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you’d like to elevate the flavor of this snacking cake, use Olive Oil instead of vegetable oil. Olive oil pairs beautifully with citrus. Keep in mind you will taste the difference (similar to my fluffy Blood Orange Olive Oil Loaf Cake recipe).
- Try adding a ½ tsp of almond extract to give an amaretto spin to this amazing cake.
- Want to make it with the silkiest cream cheese frosting instead of the tangy lemon glaze!? If a thicker frosting is your personal preference, check out the frosting recipe from my Mom's Famous Carrot Cake.
Baking with Zucchini
Every summer, my grandma would give us a bucket full of garden-fresh zucchini. I appreciated it, but I appreciated the zucchini more when it was in a baked loaf form - HA! That being said, not all loaves were the same. You could tell a 'good' batch vs a mouthwatering loaf.
When you grate zucchini into baked goods, it's super fine and hardly noticable, especially in desserts. Full transparency, I CAN see this zucchini in this recipe since the base of the cake is a soft yellow.
How to remove moisture from Zucchini
The KEY to baking with zucchini is using a fine cheese grater to make sure it's thin enough to release moisture in the cake and help it rise. But also to remove enough of its natural moisture before adding it to the batter.
I used 4-5 half sheets of paper towels to absorb the moisture from 1 grated zucchini. Once grated, press 2 layers of paper towel to the pile of zucchini. Squeeze gently with your hands, allowing the moisture to absorb into the paper towel. Repeat this twice.
I've found that by grating the zucchini first before prepping anything and allowing it to 'air out' also removes some of the moisture. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the grated zucchini, allow the salt to remove some moisture, and squeeze again with the paper towel.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10x10 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Tip: I like to do both because it makes removal from the pan easiest.
2. Grate zucchini with a large grater. Then wrap the pile in at least 4-6 paper towels and squeeze out the moisture. Note: This is very important! I tested the cake two additional times and one turned out very soggy because I didn’t remove enough moisture.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat together oil, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract.
4. Beat in one egg at a time, creating a luscious yellow batter. Add greek yogurt and beat again until smooth.
5. Fold in the grated zucchini. Then add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix again. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is mixed well.
6. Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: this cake should have a subtle rise. If a toothpick comes out clean, but then the cake sinks, the zucchini had too much moisture.
7. Use a hand mixer to combine the glaze ingredients. Start on low speed then gradually increase to high speed and beat until smooth.
8. Let the cake cool completely (to expedite the process, place the pan in the fridge or freezer for a few). Move the cake to a wire rack and spread icing across the top of the cake and allow to harden again. Serve the lemon cake chilled or room temperature. ENJOY!
Pro Tip
Remove as much moisture as possible from the zucchini! That is the key to success. I tested the cake two additional times and one turned out very soggy because I didn’t remove enough moisture.
Recipe FAQs
I like to store it in the refrigerator so the icing solidifies (up to 5 days) but can also be stored at room temperature (up to 3 days). Either way keep in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap.
I haven’t tested this in a 8x8 pan, though it should work. Since it will be thicker, add at least an extra 8-10 minutes of baking time and ensure that the center is fully cooked before removing. A 9 inch springform pan should also work with this method.
I think this cake would make a wonderful lemon zucchini bundt cake if you have a bundt pan, as well.
Grate your zucchini, squeeze it dry, THEN measure 1 cup. This was ~1 medium garden zucchini for me. If you have extra shredded zucchini, save it for a stir fry!
If you're using a fairly normal size zucchini, the seeds will be small, soft and tasteless and there is no need to remove them. Likewise, the skin will be very tender once shredded and will not have an impact on the texture of your cake.
My only suggestion when it comes to seed removal would be if you have one of those giant ones (I'm talking the size of your entire forearm) from your garden or farmers market and the seeds are obviously large. In this case, scoop them out before adding to your cake batter.
Serving Suggestions
Ooo, well I had this for brunch, after lunch snack with a cold glass of almond milk, and even dessert. Serve it any time of day! If you choose to make it for a brunch spread (my favorite time to enjoy), serve it with this Crustless Spinach Feta Quiche and some Crispy Breakfast Potatoes. Have some bubbly too and make a brunch cocktail like this Limoncello Spritz to keep on theme with the lemon flavors.
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Lemon Zucchini Cake
Equipment
- 10x10 baking pan
- box grater
- Mixing Bowl
- ruber spatula
- electric hand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp lemon extract
- ⅓ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded zucchini, moisture removed
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2-4 tbsp milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10x10 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- Grate zucchini with a large grater. Then wrap the pile in at least 4-6 paper towels and squeeze out the moisture. This is very important!
- In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat together oil, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract.
- Beat in one egg at a time, creating a luscious yellow batter. Add greek yogurt and beat again until smooth.
- Fold in the grated zucchini. Then add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix again. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is mixed well.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely (to expedite the process, place the pan in the fridge or freezer for a few).
- Use a hand mixer to combine the glaze ingredients. Start on low speed then gradually increase to high speed and beat until smooth.
- Move the cake to a wire rack and spread icing across the top of the cake and allow to harden again.
- Serve the lemon cake chilled or room temperature. ENJOY!
Nutrition
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Lily says
This cake is so fresh and fluffy. It is the perfect sweet treat to have at a tea party or a lovely spring day. This will definitely be on my families easter table.
Courtney Paige says
one of my favorite recipes I've made all year. It's FABULOUS! you won't be disappointed by making it.
Sydney Van Acker says
wow!! this is insanely moist, but light and fluffy at the same time. The glaze on top was perfection, too!
Madison says
I never would have thought to combine zucchini and lemon, but it’s the perfect spring dessert. It tastes super light, which is dangerous because I could eat the whole pan in one sitting😅 I doubled the recipe and used 2 8x8 pans which took a bit longer to bake all the way through, but turned out great! I also swapped the glaze for the one in the lemon quick bread to have something thicker and more frosting-like. I made it as a hostess gift for Easter and will definitely be making it again this spring and summer!
Kelsey says
Out of this world!!!! Thank you, Courtney!