This lightly spiced zucchini cake is topped with a luscious maple cream cheese frosting for the perfect fall touch. This moist zucchini cake recipe is one you’ll want to make all autumn long!

Alright, I’m finally almost ready to embrace fall.
Even though the afternoons are still a bit warm and humid around here, the mornings are starting to be nice and cool. With school in session and Labor Day over, it’s starting to feel more like fall.
So to continue to ease us into the season, I’m taking some of the last of my summer zucchini and putting in this zucchini cake with maple cream cheese frosting.
It’s a little hybrid of summer and fall, with the zucchini pairing with fall spices, ginger, and maple.
It’s a simple cake that you can whip up quickly, so it’s perfect for guests or just because you’re craving cake on a Thursday afternoon.

WHY PUT ZUCCHINI IN CAKE?
I put zucchini in baked goods all of the time. It’s the only way I stand a chance at getting zucchini into my family.
But other than trying to get my husband and kid to eat zucchini, why put zucchini in recipes like chocolate zucchini cake, lemon zucchini bread, chocolate zucchini muffins, and this zucchini cake with maple cream cheese frosting?

You can think of zucchini the way you’d think of bananas or applesauce in a baked good. Why would we put bananas in moist banana cake or applesauce in applesauce bread?
For moisture and texture!
Zucchini has such a high water content that it instantly helps keep baked goods moist and tender. It also has a lovely mild flavor that pairs nicely with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger.
Even though some recipes, like chocolate zucchini bread, are made to hide the flavor of zucchini, this zucchini cake recipe lets the zucchini shine alongside the spices and maple frosting.

HOW TO MAKE THIS ZUCCHINI CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
This zucchini cake recipe is super simple to make. In fact, you can mix up the cake batter with just a bowl and a spatula – no mixer required!
Key ingredients
There are a few key ingredients that work with the shredded zucchini to really make this simple cake extra special.
Apple pie spice: Remember how zucchini pairs well with warm spices? Apple pie spice has all of the spices we need here: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cardamom.
Crystallized ginger: This is an optional ingredient, but I think it’s one of the best parts of this cake! Chopped crystallized ginger adds a great zip and amazing texture to this recipe. Most grocery stores sell crystallized ginger in the baking aisle, but you can also purchase it online.

Vegetable oil and applesauce: To make sure this cake is super moist, vegetable oil and applesauce are used in place of butter in this recipe.
Brown sugar and granulated sugar: This recipe uses half brown sugar and half granulated sugar. The brown sugar is especially important – it adds flavor and helps the cake hold the moisture from the zucchini, vegetable oil, and applesauce.
Other ingredients you will need are:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Making this recipe
Making the batter for this zucchini cake recipe is as simple as 1, 2, 3:
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, apple pie spice, crystallized ginger, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients: oil, applesauce, eggs, sugars, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold in the zucchini.

From there, pour the batter into a greased 8×8-inch cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before adding the maple cream cheese frosting.
This frosting has maple syrup and apple pie spice in it for a flavorful twist, but you can use a classic cream cheese frosting if you prefer.

STORAGE AND FREEZING
Because of the cream cheese frosting on this cake, store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I recommend bringing the cake to room temperature before serving it.
Wondering if you can freeze this zucchini cake?
For best results, I recommend freezing the cake before adding the frosting. Wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 1 month.

Let the cake thaw at room temperature before frosting.
You can make the frosting ahead of time and freeze it separately from the cake if you’d like. Freeze it in an airtight container for up to a month.
Let the frosting thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature, then whip it with an electric mixer for a minute before spreading it over the thawed zucchini cake.


Zucchini Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
This lightly spiced zucchini cake is topped with a luscious maple cream cheese frosting for the perfect fall touch. This moist zucchini cake recipe is one you’ll want to make all autumn long!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon apple pie spice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
For the Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a bowl, combine flour, apple pie spice, crystallized ginger, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Combine oil, applesauce, eggs, sugars and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and mix well. Add zucchini; stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared 8x8 inch baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
For the Frosting
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and apple pie spice until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar and mix well.
- Frost cake once completely cool.
Notes
Store covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
This frosting is a little on the thin side and is not able to be piped. If you find the consistency to be too thin for your taste, gradually add in a little more confectioners’ sugar.
If you enjoy nuts, pecans and walnuts both pair well with this recipe. Simply fold in a ½ cup of chopped nuts before pouring the batter into the pan.
Helpful resources:
- Learn how to make a brown sugar substitute if you are out of brown sugar.
- Learn how to soften brown sugar if yours has hardened.
- Make sure you know how to measure flour properly before you get started.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 9 Serving Size 1 sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 485Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 64mgSodium 262mgCarbohydrates 70gFiber 1gSugar 54gProtein 4g
Donna
Friday 26th of October 2012
So want to make these with the spectacular frosting..."mummy" style for Halloween ...Can these be possibly made into cupcakes?!!....Recommendations for oven temp/time baking?
Just love your site...superbly researched, explained and crafted...I am an avid follower!
Jamie
Friday 26th of October 2012
Donna- Hi! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words about My Baking Addiction. Unfortunately, I made this recipe quite some time ago, so I really don't know how it will react when backed into cupcake form. You idea is adorable, if you give it a try, definitely let me know how is goes. Have a great weekend. -Jamie
Girl in purple dress (@Girlnpurpledres)
Wednesday 4th of July 2012
Very pleased to have stumbled across your website via pinterest. Recipes look good & your photos are amazing! Interesting use of courgette, have never baked a cake from it. Will try it thanks to you.
lisa @ eating one bite at a time
Saturday 3rd of December 2011
Wow! Sooooo good! We never got to make icing because we ate the cake without it! Yum! I used Stevia in the Raw instead of white sugar and it was soooo good!
Linda
Wednesday 27th of July 2011
Thanks for this!! Made it today and it smells wonderful, to begin with. Tastes so yummy! Thick, dense, moist and full of spicy flavor - it's a great snack cake. (Didn't even get to make the frosting - just cut it while warm and smeared on some butter!)
Stefanie
Monday 27th of September 2010
This cake is amazing!!! However, I made it without the frosting. Still, super delicious and chewy!! I brought it to the office today - and it was gone within minutes! Everyone is asking for the recipe now. I have to make more tonight now :)