Carrot Zucchini Cake is a New Twist on an Old Favorite!
This recipe for Carrot Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a new take on a very old recipe. I’m always looking for new ways to use my zucchini harvest and this cake is a great example of just how delicious a zucchini can be!
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An Abundance of Zucchini and No Homegrown Carrots Led to this Cake
I love carrot cake but my homegrown carrots are rarely anything to write home about. Our heavy clay soil is very rocky…not ideal for carrots. So this is one veggie I usually buy. When I decided to make a carrot cake it dawned on me…this would be a great way to save some money and use some zucchini!
So I substituted shredded zucchini for half of the carrots, reduced the sugar, and added cinnamon. (I’m sure this cake would be delicious with zucchini substituted for all of the carrots, but I haven’t tried it…yet.)
This is a very tasty cake and it was perfect for a fall dessert! Next time I would like to try substituting applesauce for the oil, and maybe reduce the sugar even more. The frosting is especially rich…so cut into small servings or just eat the cake plain!
Carrot Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 2 cups flour unbleached
- 1 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup vegetable oil canola
- 4 eggs medium
For Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Instructions for Cake
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into mixing bowl and set aside.
- In medium bowl, combine shredded carrots and zucchini with sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add oil and eggs to vegetable and sugar mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Add vegetable mixture to dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour batter into greased and floured pan and bake at 350 F. For two 9 x 1 1/2" round pans, bake 30 - 35 minutes. For one 9 x 12 x 2" cake pan, bake 30 - 35 minutes. For two 1 dozen cupcake pans, bake 18 - 23 minutes. Bake until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to cool completely.
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar in small amounts and beat with electric mixer to combine. Beat powdered sugar in until frosting reaches spreading consistency.
To Frost Cake:
- Frost cake with cream cheese frosting once cake is thoroughly cooled.
- Frost tops of cupcakes or 9 x 13" cake. For double layer round cake: place one round of cake on platter. Frost top. Place second cake round centered on top of first round. Frost top and sides of cake.
- Cover and refrigerate.
Notes
Using Your Zucchini Harvest!
People joke about having more zucchini than they know what to do with every summer. There’s even a ‘Leave a Zucchini on the Doorstep’ day as a funny way to deal with the abundant harvests from your zuke patch.
Some years I have so many zucchini that I don’t know what to do with all of them and other years the squash vine borers end my zucchini harvests before I’ve had my fill.
When there’s more than I need, I grate them, pack into freezer containers in 1 or 2 cup increments, label, and freeze for later.
I also enjoy making Zucchini Fritters, Chocolate Zucchini Bread, and Zucchini Pineapple Bread. My friend Kathi from Oakhill Homestead has even more ideas for using up your zucchini harvest!
What is your favorite way to eat zucchini?
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Shared on Farm Fresh Tuesdays, the Simple Homestead Hop, Family Homesteading and Off Grid Hop, Love My Little Cottage, Tuesdays with a Twist
Lisa Lombardo
In addition to writing for her own websites, Lisa has contributed articles to The Prepper Project and Homestead.org.
The author lives outside of Chicago with her husband, son, 2 dogs, 1 cat, and a variety of poultry.
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Yum, I just pinned this amazing recipe. Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite!
Happy fall,
Kippi
Thanks, Kippi! I hope you both enjoy it!
This sounds delicious! I often grate and freeze zucchini when it’s in season to use in the winter months too since I do love it so much. Pinned.
Thanks so much for sharing my post and for stopping by with your sweet comment! I have some zucchini grated and frozen too! I like to freeze it in 1 and 2 cup containers so it is already measured for my recipes!
This recipe looks so yummy! It looks like a natural version of “fun-fetti” cake. I think the kiddos would love the colors in it 🙂
Thanks for sharing with us on the Homestead Blog Hop!
-Cherelle
Thank you, Cherelle! It is really yummy…I never thought of the fun-fetti aspect, lol! I made it for my son’s birthday and he was hooked. 🙂
Have a great day!
Oh, my goodness!
Carrot cake is my weakness! And I really love zucchini added to breads (by the way, zucchini is a hard word to spell).
This looks so yummy! I’d love to just have it made right now, so I could eat a couple of pieces!
Enjoy yours!
Laurie
Thanks, Laurie! I’m being a bad influence, lol!
It was delicious…and it’s something I can’t have around very often. 🙂
This looks amazing. Add zucchini to the recipe is a perfect way to use it and have the family gobble it up!
It was really yummy, Kelly…but I’m thinking my zucchini and tomato pasta sauce is a little bit healthier! 🙂
I use shredded apple with zucchini and it’s awesome and way more moist than any other cake recipe
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing. 🙂