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“It was everything you (and several comments) promised! I’ve passed it on to my sisters, who’ve become your followers, too, just because of this cake (and its frosting)!” ~Nancy
blueberry zucchini cake is a feast for the senses
You might have seen I am Baker’s cake around, it’s a stunner. Amanda’s blueberry zucchini cake is a gorgeous 2 layers, fit for a celebration, but in true tvfgi style, I turned it into a casual blueberry zucchini sheet 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, it’s absolutely delish.
what you’ll need
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- vanilla extract
- granulated and confectioner’s sugar
- shredded zucchini
- all purpose flour
- salt, baking powder, and baking soda
- blueberries
- butter
- fresh lemon juice
best pan for a blueberry zucchini cake
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.
how to make a blueberry zucchini cake
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and then fold into the wet ingredients, just enough to combine.
- Fold in the blueberries and bake.
- 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.
the lemon buttercream is the icing on 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.
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!
Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream
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
lemon buttercream
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 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.
Video
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
Nutrition
I am so disappointed, When the cake came out of the oven it looked beautiful. Lightly browned. edges looked slightly crusted. I used a toothpick it came out clean.. While waiting for the cake to cool, I read all the comments. When I got done I went to see if the cake was cool and the middle has sunk in.. I used a throw away pan. Not glass.. Now i am not sure what I did wrong.. I am going to frost it anyway.. Boo Hoo !!
I’m sorry Barbara, how frustrating. It sounds like it simply didn’t cook long enough, sometimes the toothpick test can be a little deceiving. A dense cake like zucchini cake takes a while to cook through.
A throw away pan does not cook evenly or process heat consistently, do not recommend using.
Shared with friends due to the gluten free option in the comments!
Excellent recipe. Can you tell me the calorie count?
Can I use a Bundt pan?
How long should it bake?
I haven’t tried this in a bundt, but I assume it would work, as long as your pan is large enough. Baking time would be similar, probably about 50 minutes, but check on the early side.
2nd time I’ve made this cake and it was absolutely wonderful both times! I hope I get more zuchini from someone’s garden to make another one to freeze…they freeze beautifully!
can I make this into cupcakes instead of cake?
Yes, in fact I just made blueberry zucchini muffins today, which will be up on the blog shortly. I used a different base recipe, but you could certainly cook this cake in a muffin pan. Cooking time will vary on how large your cupcakes are, but check at 18 minutes or so. They could take up to 25 minutes.
Can you freeze this cake with the frosting?
I would rather you freeze the cake and then frost it when ready to eat. Frosting doesn’t freeze super well.
I freeze it with the frosting and then after defrosting put a slice in the toaster oven. The frosting gets all gooey and fabulous! I love this !
Can I substitute almond or coconut flours instead of regular flour? What proportions?
You’d need a balanced gf baking mix for this cake, try one from a reputable company like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour.
This cake is amazing! I added the blueberries to the last half cup of flour mixture to coat them. This keeps them from sinking to bottom of cake.
As soon as I figure out how to make it Vegan, or at least without butter, I am so there. Which, actually, would not take me much time, since I did it, thrice, while typing this. I meant, while having the rest of the ingredients within reach and when it is not too late at night, and, on the day or early evening when I would actually enjoy cooking. Sounds tasty, though!
Could I add nuts to the batter?
Sure! Walnuts or pecans would be nice.
Do I freeze the cake in the pan or cool it completely, remove the cake and wrap it well? Will it fall apart when trying to remove the cake?
Definitely remove the cake first. If you’ve prepped your pan well, it should remove easily.
Use vegan butter … it worked really well when I used it for buttercream.