Pumpkin Zucchini Cake
Pumpkin zucchini cake is moist and flavorful cake packed with pumpkin, zucchini, and cozy fall spices. It's topped with dreamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting and makes the perfect fall treat!
Servings: 10 or more servings
Calories: 396kcal
Ingredients
Pumpkin cake
- 1 cup (135 g) finely grated zucchini, after measuring, squeeze liquid out
- 1 scant cup (212 g) pumpkin puree, (½ can)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (66 g) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch cloves
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cups (200 g) confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside (optionally, add a round piece of parchment to the bottom for easy removal later).
- Measure 1 cup (135 grams) of grated zucchini, then place into a few layers of paper towels, or a kitchen towel, and gently squeeze over the sink to remove excess liquid. Zucchini should measure about 70 grams afterward.
- In a large bowl, add wet ingredients: zucchini, pumpkin, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk to remove clumps.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
- Pour cake batter into prepared cake pan and gently tap on the countertop a few times to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until cake springs back when gently pressed in the center. If it leaves an indent, your cake needs more time. Cake is done when it reaches 210F in the center.
- Cool cake in pan on a wire cooling rack. Once cake is only slightly warm (not hot), carefully turn out onto a serving plate to finish cooling.
Frosting
- While your cake cools, prepare the frosting.
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese and butter. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until fluffy and smooth, about a minute.
- Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and mix until incorporated.
- Add confectioner's sugar, half at a time, and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Switch to high speed and whip until light and fluffy, about a minute.
- Spread with a knife onto cooled cake and serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Prefer less frosting? This recipe makes enough for a thick layer of frosting on top of your cake. Feel free to cut the frosting recipe in half for a thinner layer.
- Less sweet frosting substitution: If you don't like sweet frosting, omit the frosting entirely and add a thin dusting of confectioner's sugar just before serving.
- Storage: Cake will keep for 3 to 4 day in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated if it sits out for longer than 2 hours. Remove baked goods from the refrigerator 1 hour before serving to soften the frosting and cake.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 363IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg