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“It was everything you (and several comments) promised! Iโve passed it on to my sisters, whoโve 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.ย USA makes a whole line of bakewareย and I’m slowly replacing all my pans. Plus, they’re made in the USA!
Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream
Video
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.
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.ย 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
Made this today smells delicious. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable I always use that in replacement and I used all brown sugar … I love the fact of the zucchini. i have so much from the garden good way to use it.
So many of you are using coconut oil in my cakes, I’m going to have to try that, thanks Jennifer!
Just picked fresh blueberries this weekend!! The place we got the berries from had this recipe on their facebook page. I changed it up just a tiny bit. I used 1/2 c canola oil and 1/2 c applesauce in place of all veg oil. Used about 1/2 c less sugar only because I was short…threw in a few more blueberries and baked in a big pan that I use to make bars in. I am baking for about 25 mins…it sure smells good…will let you know how it turned out!! Thanks for the recipe!!
This cake is amazing….loved by every one of my five kids! I’d like to make it for my son’s graduation party in a sheet pan for more of a “bar” type dessert. I want to use my 14×20 in baking pan. Do you think it would work and double the recipe?? Thank you!
I’m glad you loved the cake Shannon ๐ I think you could double the recipe and bake it in the larger sheet cake pan. Just watch your cooking time!
It baked beautifully! I wish I could upload a picture. Not frosted yet but it baked evenly and perfectly. Success in a big pan! It’s probably more like an 11×15.
I’d love to see it!
Anyone tried this in a bundt pan? I don’t have a 9×13!
No but why not. Good idea I just might try this bunt pan idea?
Yes, I just pulled it out of the oven in my bundt pan! I had to bake for about 60 minutes. It looks great!
That’s really helpful to know, Beth, thanks!!
I love this recipes & all of your zucchini ones, please keep them coming, I always have an abundance of zucchini in the summer & freeze bags for holiday baking.
Have made this in Bundt pan w/icing & before you posted muffin recipe made them as muffins they both looked wonderful with blueberries on top…frosting is light & goes well with cake. Friends don’t care how I make it they all love it, especially great grand daughter who wasn’t 1.5 yet…couldn’t get enough into her mouth, so funny.
I want to eat at your house, Barbara, it all sounds great!
Mmmmm. I used 1/2 oil and half applesauce, used almost 3 cups zucchini, used approx 1-3/4 c sugar and added walnuts. For the frosting I subbed cream cheese for half the butter. Also, I made it in a sheet cake pan.
This is great, we’re getting lots of feedback on different ways to vary this cake, thanks so much Wendy! I love the idea of subbing cream cheese for some of the butter.
I used the 1 cup of oil and I find the cake delicious however I believe I can taste that oil. Why not butter? I would try to reduce the oil and try applesauce next time. Ideally I would like to do this with butter, your thoughts?
Definitely give it a try, Chris, on a one to one ratio, you can substitute the melted cooled butter.
This recipe is a wonderful light flavored summer treat!! Easy to make and even easier to devour!!! Thanks for sharing this! I plan on trying wild huckleberries from our area the next time I make it!!
You’re blowing my mind with the thought of wild huckleberries! Please let us know how it turns out ๐
Made it with wild huckleberries today! Wow & YUM… Great recipe! Thanks
jealous…
I had a zucchini and lemon in the house and thought, why not? It is absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe!
I love getting quick feedback like this, thanks a million Christine!
1 cup of oil is quite a bit. I’ve made similar cakes, subbing out the sugar and oil for mashed banana and apple sauce. Has anyone tried that with this recipe?
Let us know if you try that Serena…
Sue, I’ve made this twice and both times the middle has fallen substantially. Would you have adjustments for high elevation? I live at 5,000 feet in the Sierra Valley. it’s very yummy!
King Arthur Flour has a good chart on adjusting baking for high altitudes, Janet : http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html I’m guessing you will have to make several adjustments for your location. If your zucchini was VERY wet, you can squeeze out any extra moisture with a paper towel. Good luck!
Hello, I’m making this tomorrow. Does this recipe use salted or unsalted butter for the buttercream?? Thank you.?
I always use unsalted butter, unless I specify otherwise, Sandy.
Would you be able to make this into a two later round cake? Would it hold up? How’s long would you say to cook the rounds?
This recipe is INCREDIBLE.
I am not fond of overly sweet frosting so I omitted a cup of powdered sugar from the frosting, and got a wonderfully tart counterpoint to the cake. Next time I make it though โ probably next week, as I have zucchini coming out my eyeballs โ I may leave the frosting out and bake it in a muffin tray instead, so I can freeze half and eat half (did I mention I have zucchini coming out my eyeballs? I did. I’m not kidding.)
Let us know how the muffins turn out Elizabeth, I want to try that too!
I made this wonderful recipe in mini loaf pans today and they came out beautiful!!! Is it possible to frost and then freeze?
I never freeze frosting like this, Cynthia, so I can’t say for sure. I guess I’ve seen frosted cakes frozen in the supermarket, so maybe it will work, just not sure, sorry!