Blueberry Zucchini Snack Cake with Lemon Buttercream ~ this easy snack cake combines the best of summer into one delicious treat, and since blueberries, zucchini, and lemons are available all year round, you never have to go without this yummy cake!
When it comes right down to it, we food bloggers are just as susceptible to gorgeous Pinterest photos as anybody, maybe more. Lots of my food cravings start out as random pins that float innocently across my screen. You might have seen I am Baker’s cake around, it’s a stunner. The mere thought of a zucchini cake with blueberries and a lemon buttercream just about sent me into a tailspin of anticipation. I keep a little queue of recipes that I want to make and this one kept inching its way up to the top until finally I couldn’t resist.
Amanda’s cake is a gorgeous 2 layers, fit for a celebration, but in true TVFGI style, I turned it into a casual snack cake. No less scrumptious, just a little more user friendly. Eat it with your hands, in your lap, off a paper napkin, whateves, but definitely try it.
Instead of using round cake pans, I baked the batter in my 9×13 USA pan, I love it, it’s got a wonderful heft to it, and cooks nice and evenly. I don’t like to bake in glass if I can avoid it because it tends to cook hot, and the edges can get overdone. I used this pan to bake my favorite Pecan Praline Pumpkin Cake and my Brown Sugar Peach Cake, too, and I’m always thrilled with the results.
BAKING TIP: Converting a layer cake to a 9×13 pan is easy — since the depth of the batter will be comparable, there are no changes necessary except to watch the baking time carefully. It will probably take a little longer in the 9×13 pan, so check with a toothpick to be sure.
The batter is luxurious and silky — and since it uses oil in place of butter it’s super easy to throw together. I made sure to rearrange my blueberries after filling the pan so they would be evenly distributed throughout the cake.
This blueberry zucchini cake is moist, dense, and delicious, but I think it’s the lemon buttercream that has my taste buds doing a jig. I love it, so I made sure to lay it on nice and thick.
BAKING TIP: I blended the lemon buttercream up in my food processor (fitted with the metal blade) rather than using my electric hand beaters like I usually do, and I loved the result. It was easier, less messy, and the frosting came out super smooth and creamy. It’s my go to method from now on.
tvfgi recommends: USA Baking Pans
I love my USA 9×13 pan, it’s sturdy, nonstick, and has a great solid feel to it. USA pans have no bells and whistles, they’re just good quality, durable cookware. My cakes cook up more evenly in this aluminized steel, with no overcooked edges like I sometimes get with glass. USA makes a whole line of bakeware and I’m slowly replacing all my pans. Plus, they’re made in the USA!
*Recipe slightly adapted from I am Baker
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 pint blueberries (tossed in 1 tsp flour)
- 1 cup butter, (2 sticks, 8 ounces) at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
- juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan.
- Beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar until well blended. Fold in the zucchini.
- Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to combine. Slowly add it to the wet mixture, mixing just enough to blend.
- Fold in the blueberries, and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, just until the top is turning golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. Cool on a rack.
- To make the frosting, put the softened butter into the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, processing till smooth after each addition. After the second cup of sugar add in the lemon juice. Scrape down the sides of the machine as necessary. Adjust the texture by adding a little more lemon or a little more sugar.
- Frost the cooled cake and store in the refrigerator.
notes:
- Reader Lillia reports in the comments below that this cake can easily be made gluten free using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour.
- I felt that this blueberry zucchini snack cake was at its best chilled, so I kept ours in the refrigerator. The frosting is butter-rich, so especially in warm weather this makes sense, and the texture of the chilled frosting is out of this world.
- For all your chocoholics out there, you really need to check out my Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake ~ it’s meant to be eaten straight from the fridge, and I guarantee you won’t be able to control yourself around it!
Don’t forget to pin this blueberry zucchini snack cake!
used in this post (the photos are clickable)…
236 Comments
Kathryn Heatherly
September 22, 2018 at 9:20 amSince lemons vary so much with respect to the amount of juice yielded, can you specify the amount that should be used in the icing? Thank you!
Sue
September 22, 2018 at 9:47 amYou can start with 3 tablespoons, Kathryn, and add more if you need to get the right consistency.
Blueberry Zucchini Snack Cake with Lemon Buttercream - HouseKeeperMag.com
September 19, 2018 at 3:20 am[…] Made this last night and it was amazing! I opted to use half applesauce and half oil and it was still amazing!! The frosting is to die for!!!!!! Here is the recipe. Blueberry Zucchini Snack Cake with Lemon Buttercream […]
Karen
September 15, 2018 at 2:49 pmMade this 3 times already. Love it!! Trying it in a bundt pan today. Hoping it comes out just as good
Sue
September 15, 2018 at 3:44 pmWhaaat? You know the cake better than I do at this point ;)
Janie
September 12, 2018 at 11:47 amMy neighbor made this and shared a piece with me (she’s a gem). I loved it so much I ran out and got the ingredients to make it myself. Thanks for the recipe :) it’s delicious!!!
Sue
September 12, 2018 at 11:59 amLove that Janie!
56 Healthy Snack Ideas and Recipes to Lose Weight, Get an Energy Boost, and Satisfy Your Cravings
September 12, 2018 at 4:00 am[…] via The View From Great Island […]
Chris
August 30, 2018 at 6:08 pmI…just…made…this! My husband said it’s a ‘keeper’ and I readily agreed! Thank you!
Sue
August 30, 2018 at 6:21 pmOh good, perfect time for this cake.
Lisa
August 29, 2018 at 7:34 amIt can be made with whole wheat flour as well. Cut back from 3 cups to 2 and 3/4 . My son cannot eat white flour. But can whole wheat.
Sue
August 29, 2018 at 7:40 amThanks Lisa!