Lemon Zucchini Cake
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This lemon zucchini cake is incredibly moist with a bright, sunshine-y lemon flavor. It’s made in a bundt pan and topped with a drizzle of lemon glaze. It’s so simple to make and the perfect recipe for your garden zucchini.
If you love lemon desserts, you’re going to love this lemon zucchini bundt cake. It has a super moist texture and the type of cake crumb that slightly dense and sticks to your fork. The lemon flavor is bright and lemony without tasting sour, and the addition of a sweet lemon glaze on top really takes the flavor to the next level.
The cake’s moisture comes from using oil, eggs, sour cream, and grated zucchini. Using oil keeps the cake moist for longer, as opposed to using butter. Because the lemon adds so much flavor you won’t miss the flavor from butter whatsoever. The grated zucchini will dissolve as the cake bakes, leaving you with a bundt cake that’s incredibly moist. You won’t taste the zucchini whatsoever – but you will see little flecks of green from the zucchini’s skin.
Making Lemon Zucchini Cake
This cake is increidbly simple to make.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease a 12-cup non-stick bundt pan with cooking spray or brush with cake pan release.
- I like to use cake pan release because I find it does the best job. I’ve included notes on how to make your own in the recipe notes at the bottom.
- Grate the Zucchini. Use a cheese grater to grate the zucchini. No need to peel it first, simply cut off the ends. Lightly blot with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.
- You don’t need to squeeze the zucchini dry – simply give it a light blot to remove any pools of water underneath.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Give it a whisk for about 30 seconds to ensure that the leaveners are evenly distributed.
- Combine the Sugar and Lemon Zest in a Large Bowl. Pinch the lemon zest into the sugar using your fingers. This step helps the lemon zest to impart its flavor into the cake batter.
- Afterwards, the sugar should feel slightly damp.
- Whisk the Oil, Sour Cream, Eggs, Lemon Juice and Vanilla into the Sugar. Keep whisking until there are no lumps.
- I typically whisk in the oil and sour cream first, followed by the rest.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients into the Dry Ingredients. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients first, then pour the wet ingredients into the well. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in the Zucchini.
- Bake. The cake will need to bake for about 50-60 minutes. When finished, you should see the cake starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. An inserted toothpick should come out clean and if you touch the top of the cake it should feel slightly springy to the touch.
- If you aren’t sure if the cake is done yet, bake it for a few more minutes. This recipe is very unlikely to dry out.
Pan Sizes
If you don’t have a bundt pan, there are a few options:
9×13 Inch Pan: Fill the cake pan about 2/3 to 3/4 full – you may have some leftover cake batter depending on how high the sides of your pan are. Then bake for about 45-55 minutes, or until the top springs back slightly to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be sure to use a metal cake pan. Instead of using a lemon glaze, I recommend using a lemon cream cheese frosting. Use this recipe here. Substitute the vanilla extract with 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice.
Loaf Pans: Divide the batter evenly between two 8×4 inch loaf pans. First, line the bottom of each pan with parchment, then grease the sides with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 50-60 minutes in the preheated oven. Both cakes can be baked at the same time.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
This cake also freezes well. The cake without the icing can be wrapped tightly in plastic (wrap around the whole of the bundt cake) then wrapped in foil or placed in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw in the fridge. Bring to room temperature by placing on the counter, then add the glaze. Always thaw in the fridge, instead of on the counter, as thawing the cake from frozen on the counter leads to a gummy texture.
A Note from Fiona
Why You’ll Love this Lemon Zucchini Cake!
This lemon zucchini cake has the perfect bright lemon flavor that pairs perfectly with the incredibly moist texture. The recipe is so simple to make, and requires no decorating skills or fiddling with cake layers – a big bonus in my book!
I’m always happy to serve this cake as an easy, relaxed dessert after a summer BBQ and eat the leftovers the next day with morning coffee or afternoon tea.
More Zucchini Recipes to Try
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread
- Zucchini Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Lemon Zucchini Cake
Equipment
- 12-cup bundt pan
Ingredients
Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake
- 2 cups grated zucchini (about 200 grams), about 2 small zucchinis or 1 very large zucchini
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar (350 grams)
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup vegetable oil (240 ml), or canola oil
- ⅓ cup sour cream (80 ml)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (60 ml), freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Lemon Glaze
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1½-2 cups powdered sugar (165-220 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray or brush with pan release.
- Grate the zucchini (no need to peel first). If you have a very large zucchini, roughly chop the grated zucchini so that you don't have any really long strands of zucchini.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, pinch the lemon zest into the salt. You'll rub the lemon zest and sugar between your fingers. This process helps the zest to release it's flavor.
- Whisk the sour cream and oil into the sugar mixture (you would also use an electric mixer for this). Then whisk in the lemon eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold together until just combined. I do this with a rubber spatula. If you still have quite a few lumps – you could do a few whisks with a wire whisk or mix very briefly with an electric mixer. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the shredded zucchini.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes. When finished, an inserted toothpick or cake tester should come out clean or with a few damp crumbs. If you gently nudge the top of the cake with your finger, it should feel firm to the touch.
- Cool the cake in the pan for about 25 minutes, then very carefully insert to remove. You may need to tap on the pan a few times to help ease the cake out.
Lemon Glaze
- Whisk together 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice with 1½ cups powdered sugar. Keep whisking until no lumps remain. You may need to whisk in a little more powdered sugar as necessary. It should be opaque in color, but still thin enough to drizzle.
- Transfer the cake to the plate that you plan to serve it on and. Drizzle/pour the glaze over the top, letting it drip down the sides.
Notes
- Zucchini: If your zucchini has a lot of liquid (it’s leaving a pool of water on the cutting board after grating it), lightly blot with paper towel.
- Lemons: You will need about 2 lemons for the cake batter and an additional lemon for the glaze. Zest the lemons first, then juice.
- Sour Cream: Can be replaced with plain Greek yogurt if needed.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: The eggs and sour cream should be at room temperature before getting started.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only based on 1 slice with glaze, assuming the cake is sliced into 12 uniform pieces. You could likely get 14-16 smaller pieces.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
