Zucchini Snack Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
This zucchini snack cake is made for that stretch between summer and fall ~ warmly spiced, loaded with toasted walnuts, and finished with a creamy browned butter frosting.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- 9" square pan
Ingredients
for the cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp mace
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 cups packed shredded zucchini, lightly blotted with paper towels only if very wet.
- 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
for the frosting
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 Tbsp heavy cream, or more as necessary to thin the frosting to a spreadable consistency.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, mace, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the white and brown sugars until smooth and slightly thickened. Whisk in the oil, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Fold in the zucchini and walnuts.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold just until no dry flour remains.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 35–42 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out without wet batter. A few moist crumbs are fine.
- Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then lift out and cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting by melting the 3 Tbsp unsalted butter over low to medium heat in a small pan on the stove. It helps to have a light colored pan so you can see the color change. Continue to heat the butter until you notice it starting to turn brown. You may need to lower your heat at this point to have more control over the process. You will see the milk solids turn into little brown specks. Be extra careful not to let the butter burn, but let it get to a rich deep brown color. This happens quickly, so don't walk away. I like to immediately pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking.
- Let the butter cool until it’s still fluid but no longer feels hot before adding to the 2 cups confectioner's sugar. Then thin with the heavy cream until you get a spreadable consistency. You'll probably need 3-4 tablespoons of cream, depending on the consistency you like. Beat it until it is smooth and glossy.
- Spread it on the cooled cake and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe was first published in 2013, and has been re-tested, updated, and re-photographed in 2026.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice · Calories: 414 kcal · Carbohydrates: 56 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 20 g · Saturated Fat: 5 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 9 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Trans Fat: 0.2 g · Cholesterol: 43 mg · Sodium: 186 mg · Potassium: 170 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 42 g · Vitamin A: 255 IU · Vitamin C: 3 mg · Calcium: 54 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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