Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake

• servings: 12 servings
• active time: 35 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (300 grams) Gluten-Free Measure-For-Measure Flour*

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil or another neutral oil

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup ( unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups (226 g) grated coarsely zucchini*

Brown butter cream cheese frosting:

1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes

8 ounces (226 grams) full-fat cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 cups (300 grams) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (can omit if using salted butter)

Directions

First, Make The Zucchini Cake

To start, preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 metal baking pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk to combine well and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Don’t over mix.

Add Dry Ingredients To Wet Ingredients and stir until almost fully combined, with just a few dry spots left.

Mix In Zucchini (with spatula) Add the grated zucchini and mix until the zucchini is evenly distributed. Don’t over mix.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth out the surface into an even layer (this will help the cake rise evenly!). Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. (While the cake is baking, I recommend browning the butter for the frosting. See below!)

Cool Completely on a wire rack before frosting. (If you try to frost a warm cake, it will melt the frosting.)

Make Frosting & Finish The Cake:

Brown Butter & Chill Till Solid. Melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat, whisking constantly until the butter begins to foam. (Watch carefully when the butter begins to foam, as it will turn golden and brown quickly.) When the butter under the foam is golden (like honey) and smells sweet with a nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat and let the butter cool for a few minutes before transferring to a large mixing bowl. (Make sure to get all those lovely brown bits!) Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill until the butter has solidified again.

When you’re ready to make the frosting, remove the chilled brown butter from the fridge and beat with a hand mixer until it’s smooth and no longer stuck to the bottom of the bowl. (Pause as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl)

Beat In Cream Cheese. Add softened cream cheese to the butter and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes, or until well blended and smooth. (You don’t want any lumps!)

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt (if using). Mix on low speed 20-30 seconds, until small clusters form, then increase the speed to high and beat 2-3 minutes, or until the frosting is light, smooth, and even.

Frost Cooled Cake. Add frosting to the cooled zucchini cake and spread into an even layer.

Serve & Store. Cut cake into slices and enjoy right away or chill leftover cake 2-3 days. We recommend covering the cake well with plastic wrap or an airtight lid to keep the cake moist.

Notes

Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure gluten-free flour blend. If you use another brand, be sure it contains xanthan gum or the texture won’t turn out properly. We always recommend you weigh or scoop and level the flour to avoid packing extra flour into the measuring cups. (Too much flour = dry or gummy cake)

***If using Kats blend add xanthan gum=1/2+1/8 tsp or with high altitude maybe 1/2 +1/4?

***Author Emily Dixon lives in Gilbert AZ at 1237 ft so adj recipe for high altitude. Reduce baking powder and soda by 1/8 tsp each, reduce sugar by 1 tablespoon or 13 g, increase flour by 2 Tablespoons or 16 g, typically increase moisture but given the applesauce maybe leave it alone?

**Zucchini. No need to peel the zucchini or squeeze out excess liquid. We’ve accounted for it in the recipe!

Food Safety Tips. Since this cake is topped with cream cheese frosting, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Do not keep the cake out of the fridge more than 2 hours at room temperature.

Other Pan Sizes. See the notes in the blog post for directions for bundt pans, layer cakes, and cupcakes.

*My regular recipe uses 2 cups white sugar and less baking soda and powder and no applesauce.

Try Mel’s frosting from applesauce spice cake: OR make Kats used with carrot cake. See pg 58 book.

6 tablespoons (77 g) salted butter, browned & cooled to room temperature and sludgy.

3 oz (85 g) cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups (342 g) powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2-3 tablespoons milk or cream

Mix butter and cream cheese, it will look curdled. Add 1 cup sugar and mix until mostly combined. Add vanilla and milk or cream. Gradually add rest of powdered sugar while mixing on medium low speed. Add more milk if needed. Mix 1-2 minutes until very thick and creamy.

If using dairy free butter, probably don’t brown it.