Wow. Where do I start with this cake?
It’s absolutely incredible, moist, hearty, slightly crumbly, sweet, and delicious. That’s where.
Our air conditioner happened to go out the weekend I baked it, which meant sweat was pouring down my hairline as I was whipping up the icing. It was a true act of love and so, so worth it.
The minute the cake was done I popped it in the freezer so I could ice it as quickly as possible, with THIS STUFF. Dairy-free cream cheese icing. Thank you dairy-free “dairy products.” My gut owes you one.
In this here icing we have:
Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese
Earth Balance vegan butter
Vanilla extract
& Powdered shuga
So creamy, light, slightly tangy, and just as good as the real stuff – guaranteed.
Let’s put it on that cake, shall we?
Wow. This cake is INSANE. The almond meal gives it a nutty, hearty texture and flavor. The zucchini adds moisture and plenty of vitamins C and B and fiber. Applesauce and cane sugar add just the right amount of sweetness. And the icing sends it over the TOP!
To keep this cake gluten-free, I used gluten-free oats, almond meal and my favorite gluten-free flour blend. The good thing is it has many elements + an egg for binding, so even if you use a slightly different flour blend, it should turn out fine.
I HAD to have this cake before the summer ended. I adapted the recipe from a family favorite that belongs to my aunt Donna. Donna and I have so much in common: July birthdays, loud laughs, and an extreme love for sweets. No wonder she and I gush over this cake…
If you are skeptical of your ability to bake a gluten-free cake, don’t be. This one only requires 1 bowl!
This cake is also very forgiving. I made it the next day as cupcake/muffins and they turned out wonderfully. The important thing is: Make this recipe! Your family and friends will love you for it – promise.
Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
GLUTEN-FREE ZUCCHINI CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup raw or organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup olive, avocado, or melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
- 3/4 cup almond meal (ground from raw almonds)
- 1/4 cup gluten-free oats
- 1 pinch salt
DAIRY-FREE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 4 Tbsp non-dairy butter (such as Earth Balance // softened)
- 2- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (1/2 lb. yields ~2-2 1/2 cups)
- 4 ounces “Tofutti” dairy-free cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 C) and butter and flour an 8×8 pan with dairy-free butter or cooking spray and gluten-free flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, and zucchini. Add vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Lastly add almond meal, gluten free flour blend, and gluten free oats and whisk again to combine. The batter should be slightly thick but very easy to pour.
- Pour batter into your pan and bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.
- While cooling, make your frosting by beating dairy-free butter and cream cheese together, then add vanilla and beat again. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach desired consistency and sweetness. It should be fairly thick but still spreadable.
- Once the cake is fully cooled, frost and serve immediately. You’ll have leftover frosting.
- The cake should keep covered in the fridge for several days, or in the freezer for several weeks. However, it’s best when eaten fresh. Let set out for 10-15 minutes before serving if refrigerating so it warms a bit and becomes more tender.
- To adapt this recipe into more of a zucchini bread, reduce the cane sugar to 1/2 cup (as original recipe is written) and forgo the icing!
Notes
*Gluten-free flour blend: 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup white rice flour.
*You can substitute an equal amount of our NEW 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the gluten-free flour blend in this recipe.
*This recipe is from the kitchen of my aunt and beloved godmother, Donna Parks.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with frosting.
Kathy says
I’m allergic to nuts. What could be used in place of almond meal?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kathy, we think sunflower seed meal (raw unsalted sunflower seeds ground in a high-speed blender) could work here. Let us know if you try it!
jay pandaleon says
Thank you for the delicious recipes. You are helping me out here in france and have me dreaming of cream cheese icing. Can I use silken tofu to make cream cheese for this?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad our recipes are helpful, Jay! Hmm, we aren’t sure silken tofu would work for the cream cheese because the moisture content might be too high. But perhaps if there were other ingredients in it that were similar to the store-bought product, it could work?
Cath says
I have found out an alternative for vegan icing : I use Halvah (a libanese paste made of principally of sesame but solid and not runny unlike tahini). You can mix it up with a bit of plant milk to adjust to thikness – even add vegan protein powder. It’s really good!
A lot of people use soaked cashews, which works great too.
Jess says
My kids have nut and tree nut allergies. Do you have a suggested substitute for almond meal? Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jess, we’d recommend checking out the second Q & A in our FAQs. Hope that helps!
Atara Dahan says
I have some cooked zucchini slices, can I mash that up and use instead of raw grated?
Atara Dahan says
Or is there a different dessert recipe that I can use zucchini in as a swap for some other ingredient?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’ve never tried baking with cooked zucchini!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hm, we aren’t sure! Maybe!
D says
Could you bake these in a donut pan?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That should work! We would suggest checking on them at the 20 minute mark!
Janene says
Thankyou! I love this!
I didn’t have white rice flour so used sorghum flour instead, in the gf flour blend.
I also used 3/4 cups of honey instead of sugar, squeeze most of the liquid from the grated Zucchini. Lastly switched gf oats for quinoa flakes.
Cooked at 150°C for 30mins
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Janene!
Helen Fox says
Hi which gluten free flour do I use for your zucchini cake recipe please sr or plain?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Helen, you just need plain gluten-free flour not self rising!
Helen Fox says
Hi There Thankyou for your reply . I actually took a chance and the cakes turned out great .I could see it had bicarb and baking powder so I was hoping it was plain flour 😀.. I’ve made 4 mini cakes so I could hand out to carers .Thankyou for a truly yummy recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Helen. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Sarah says
Hello! I made this recipe today and it was delicious! I am vegan, so instead of egg or flax egg, I used 6 tablespoons of Aquafina slightly whipped and it worked beautifully! Thank you for your recipes and I use them ALL the time! Sarah
Sarah says
Aquafaba…autocorrect, ugh
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, we’re SO glad you enjoy our recipes, Sarah! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Don says
Very good! Made it as bread in a 9 x 4 loaf pan, and raised the oven temp to 325 degrees. My batter was somewhat thicker than you described — I used oat flour instead of oats, which have been the reason. Reduced the sugar by half, as suggeste. Turned out great! Will make it again…
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing! xo
Jeri Lyn Heinritz says
Love this! My husband, who is a new vegan, loved it too!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! So glad you both enjoyed, Jeri. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Vanessa Lee says
This recipe is amazing! I made muffins instead and baked them for about 30 mins at 325 F. I used the flax egg recipe instead and they turned out fluffy.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Vanessa! xo
Roro says
I made muffins at 325F for 30 minutes. Subbed AP flour instead of GF flour because I’m not GF. Subbed shredded pear for the applesauce. Subbed 1/2 cup maple syrup for the sugar. Used a non vegan cream cheese icing that I usually make. Perfection. Keeping this one for the books!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Lovely! Thank you for sharing! xo
Kristine says
Delicious cake! I made it egg free with 1 flax egg and 1 powdered egg replacer and it turned out perfect. I was expecting a dense cake when I made that change, but it was fluffy, had a perfect crumb and was moist without being dense. My kids liked it as well. I am making it for a second time today and look forward to digging in!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! We’re so glad you and your kids enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Kristine! xo
liselyn says
This cake is a big hit! There are always lots of zucchini to use up this time of year, and GF is a must. Thanks for this one!
I switched out the vanilla for fresh lemon juice, and also put in a good amount of lemon zest (about half a lemon’s worth). I love the combination of lemon and almond meal.
Putting it in the fridge is probably a must – we did not in the first day, and it became extremely crumbly. A good excuse to put it in a bowl with some sorbet on it, so no one is complaining…
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Ooo – that sounds like the perfect summer dessert! Love the use of lemon, too! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Liselyn!
joan says
I made this vegan by substituting 2 chia eggs (2 Tbsp ground chia mixed with 5 Tbsp water) for the hen’s eggs. I whipped the chia eggs, sugar, oil and the apple sauce until it was light and fluffy in my stand mixer. Then just followed the recipe. It baked high and quite light considering the oats and almond flour. I am serving it with a simple 5 ingredient date/cashew icing. Delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Joan! And love that creative frosting idea. Thank you for sharing! xo
Trina says
This cake is very moist, I used Follow Your Heart Eggs, using their recommended baking recipe. The flavor is nice too. Will be good with cup of tea. I did not make the frosting. I made your gf flour blend, and will continue to use it for other baking needs.
Thank you
Trina
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks as always for the lovely review, and for sharing your modifications! We’re so glad you enjoyed, Trina! xo
Gabrielle says
Made a browned butter bourbon cream cheese frosting version by browning the vegan butter (miyokos brand browns sooo well) and adding a tablespoon or two of bourbon. Delicious!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woah, sounds incredible! Thanks for sharing, Gabrielle!
Jen says
Another tasty recipe! For my oven, the bake time was only 35 minutes.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Jen! xo
Alicia says
I have made this many times as muffins and they are always delicious even with various ingredient substitutions:) What would happen if you convert these to pumpkin muffins? Perhaps 3/4c pumpkin pure and 1 cup grated apples?
Thanks for all your inspiration!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Alicia! We haven’t tried that, but let us know if you do! We’d suggest this recipe for reference: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-bowl-pumpkin-bread-v-gf/
Nicola Pascal says
I accidentally used coconut flour instead of almond flour, and the cake is delicious, moist and flavourful. So easy as well, thank you! Great recipe to use when you have an abundance of zucchini in the garden.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Nicola!
Sharon says
I doubled the recipe and made muffins with a commercially available gf flour, used brown sugar in the reduced amount recommended for more important of a bread rather than a cake, substituted chia seeds and water for the eggs (same proportions as the flax egg), and probably used more zucchini than the recipe specified. I filled the muffin cups a little more than halfway and baked them at 350 for 20 minutes. Perfect for breakfast!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Sharon!
Mary says
I made this zucchini cake using 2 flax eggs. The batter was very thick, not pourable and the cake didn’t rise. I did add about 1/8 cup of almond milk but that didn’t thin it much. I think it would have risen if I had used chicken eggs.
It had very good flavor though.
Harry & Hazel says
Oh so very good!
Nutty, sweet and heavenly!
I made two diffrent cakes one I substituted the cane sugar for about 1 1/2 cups of pitted Arabe Dates (Sweeter than Medjool dates), and the second exactly as the recipe, and they both tasted so good, and you could barely taste the difference!
Thanks, Dana!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love that! Thanks so much for sharing!
Morgan says
These are amazing. I made a few changes for what I had on hand.
Bob’s red mill egg replacer, spelt flour, coconut sugar, added pecans and doubled the recipe but not the sugar.
They turned out dense and moist and so so good. I didn’t even make the icing. I had enough dough to make one pan of donuts and one cake. The donuts were my favorite because they were done in 30 minutes and a little more moist/dense than the cake.
I basically use the site for all my recipes and I have yet to have something not turn out amazing. Thanks so much!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Morgan! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Kate says
I love your work! Thank you for so many amazing recipes. The icing is beyond good! No one would know it’s not regular cream cheese. My new go-to cream cheese icing for sure.
So great to sneak in veggies where my kids don’t know they exist. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 GF flour and wonder if that is why my cake was a little dense and gummy? Next time I would add 1/4 tsp salt (personal taste), and your GF DIY mix. It is an excellent tasting cake and I’ll try again in hopes of right cake density. Thank you so much!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Kate. We’re so glad you enjoyed! The Bob’s 1-1 is pretty similar to our blend so it should work, but it can also be more absorbent which might change the final texture. It’s also important to check that your baking powder/soda is not expired. Hope this helps!
Daniela Maile says
I tripled this batch and it turned out moist and lovely and delicious! I didn’t change a thing and it was perfect! Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for sharing, Daniela. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Hilary Falk says
This recipe is a hit! I’ve made it 5 times now this zucchini growing season and everyone I’ve served it to absolutely loves it. The inclusion of oats and almond meal adds a richness to the cake that makes it so yummy yet not dry due to the moist zucchini, applesauce, and oil. I used canola oil for the best results. I’m grateful to be able to enjoy such a high-quality gluten-free treat!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad everyone has enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Hilary! xo
Angela says
I have made this several times (with regular cream cheese frosting) and it’s SO good. Everyone loves it, even those who don’t eat gluten free.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! So glad to hear it, Angela! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jen says
I made this today and it was delish! I couldn’t get all those flours so I used 2 part white rice flour, 1 part tapioca flour and 1 part coconut flour and it came out well. I’m eating it without the icing to keep it a slightly healthier and its still yummy. I have so many courgettes from my allotment I’ll definitely be making this again I think maybe next time with a cashew icing which I think would go well. Thanks a lot for the recipie!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jen. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
christine butler says
I am definitely going to try this, but am wondering if you have a recommendation for a non-cane sugar substitute? I use dates in baking a lot, but am not sure how much to use in this particular recipe. I have zucchini coming out of my ears and LOVE zucchini bread! Thank you, and I definitely will post my results – I dig your recipes and make lots of them!!! Good stuff!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Christine, it looks like other readers have used maple syrup or dates with success! We haven’t tried either in this recipe though so can’t guarantee results. Let us know how it goes!
Karen says
Thank you! This reminded me of an old family favorite Bundt pan recipe from the early 1990s- which is why I used and wanted to recommend pineapple in place of the applesauce. I used canned organic chunks that I pureed in the same mini food processor as the zucchini. I also threw in some extras just coarsely chopped. Otherwise I followed your recipe exactly, except I also set the oven for 325. It took about an hour and did cook completely in the middle, which was a concern. Delicious!
Your pictures show 3 zuchinni- 2 medium ones were enough.
I frequently make variations on cream cheese or butter cream icing and it is easy to freeze in a plastic tub if you are also freezing the cake
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Emily C says
I would like to make this recipe using a muffin tin. Do you have a suggested temp and time? :)
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I’d say 350 for 25-35 minutes?
Marie says
I have made many recipes from this site and love them but this cake/recipe is not for me as it is too dense. The frosting is very good though, albeit I added only half of the sugar. Top tip – add sugar slowly and taste as you go so as not to make it too sweet.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Marie, sorry to hear that this one wasn’t for you. Did you use our DIY GF Flour blend? We’re glad you enjoyed the frosting!
Diana Rivera says
I’m so grateful for this recipe! I made them into cupcakes and SO yummy! I’m stuck at home after sinus surgery and complications. Doc is having me get tested for covid because I’m not getting much better… ugh…just scare me more doc! So many antibiotics that my tummy is very sad. I really needed something comforting, a lil sweet, gluten free and healthy too. I used ground walnuts because I didn’t have the almond. No frosting because of sugar but still SO good. I did use real butter though. Had to use what I had in the house. But oh thank you!! Even my hubby loves them and he won’t eat gluten free or zucchini. lol …I didn’t tell him what was in them. :)
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, we’re so glad you enjoyed it, Diana! Sorry to hear you’re not feeling well- wishing you a speedy recovery! xo
Kay says
10/10 So easy! If you’re a lazy baker like me you will love this! I made this several times and it’s fullproof. So glad to have amazing non-dairy recipes from a fantastic baker. I just made 2 batches and so I plan to freeze half.
I made one batch in muffin tins, it takes about the same time because the zuchini is very moist since this recipe doesn’t ask to squeeze the juices out. They rise so nicely!
My substitutions: I used multi-purpose flour instead of gluten-free. And a mix of coconut meal and flax meal instead of almond meal. I used a mix of brown sugar and date sugar. I added chocolate chunks ( a whole bag).
Aadhya Ramineni says
This is the best recipe I have ever made! If I could eat one food for the rest of my life this would be it:)
Modifications:
– I made 12 muffins instead of cake
– did not make the icing (it was the perfect sweetness for muffins without)
– grated some nutmeg into the mix
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Aadhya! xo
Mollie Ewing says
Delicious! I used this recipe to make muffins – it made 12 golden, fluffy, moist muffins. I used 1 shredded apple instead of applesauce, cut the sugar in half, and subbed chinese five spice for cinnamon. The batter was thicker than described in the recipe (probably due to the changes I made in recipe), so I added about 1/4 cup of oat milk. Some of the best GF muffins we’ve ever made in this kitchen :) Thank you Minamilist Baker!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Mollie!
Iralyn says
So easy and delicious! My favorite part was the slight crunch of the oats! For the cake, I used the coconut oil option and used slightly less than the 1 cup of sugar, but I think it would have been good with the full cup. For the icing, I used regular dairy ingredients and only needed a little over 1/2 cup of the confectioners sugar. We didn’t have any icing leftover…yum! This has definitely become one of my go-to food blogs, especially as we try to go more healthy/meatless.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Iralyn! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Kristin Randall says
Hello!
I’m not much of a baker and wondering if this recipe good be substituted with almond flour and coconut flour and no almond meal and no oats?
Thanks in advance!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kristin, we haven’t tried that and aren’t sure it would turn out. We would recommend searching the comments to see what others have tried and/or reviewing our guide to GF flours- https://minimalistbaker.com/guide-to-gluten-free-flours/
Sarah says
How many zucchinis does this take? I don’t want to grate them to discover I don’t have enough! :)
And is it packed cups? Finally do I squeeze any moisture from the zucchini? Thanks!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Sarah, approximately 2 small-medium zucchini. No need to pack it or squeeze out moisture. Hope that helps!
Beth says
Hi, I’m wondering what I could substitute for the almond meal….my daughter and I are allergic to nuts. Thank you.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Beth, See our FAQ for help!
Michelle Parker says
I made this for the holiday season. It caught my eye because it was so easy and, you know, so much going on! I used all-purpose flour and flax eggs. I doubled the recipe and used two 8″ rounds. I tossed one in the fridge for a party in 2 days and went ahead and bagged half of the cream cheese frosting and refrigerated that as well. I frosted the other with the cream cheese frosting, I used Violife vegan cream cheese, and used a stencil to decorate and called it Hanukkah cake for my husband. It didn’t last long enough to know how it stored. The refrigerated cake and frosting came to room temp nicely and was loved by all, even the non-vegans. Highly recommended if you want something not so sweet.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Vania says
This was SOO GOOD! Very moist. I used 1/2 maple syrup instead of sugar and added Chinese 5 spice along with the cinnamon. I used 2 cups of zucchini too and it came out awesome, just took longer to bake.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xo!
Meredith says
I use this as a coffee cake. I subbed apple sauce with a shredded apple and replaced sugar with 3/4 cup of maple syrup. The cake came out perfect and tasty. For the frosting, I halved it since I’m eating this for breakfast :). Thanks for a great recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Great idea, Meredith! Thanks so much for sharing!
Amanda says
Would any cream cheese work? It looks like this recipe was posted a few years ago, I rarely see tofutti these days. Would miyokos or kite hill work?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We haven’t tried those, but they should work! Let us know how it goes!
Carrie says
I used Daiya and it worked perfectly. 👍 This cake was so good I made it twice!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Carrie!
Anna says
That’s crazy how we have all loved it in my family! I’ve made it vegan w/out eggs and added some nuts cause we adore them and today it’s 3rd time for me to prepare it, each time I add sth or change a bit some part of ingredients and it turns out delicious no matter what!!! Such a pity I didn’t find it earlier as zucchini season is not so long. Sending hug and thanks xoxo
PS Hope you’ll post more vegan cakes with seasonal vegetables , cause I’m sick of making only coconut milk cakes, which are kind of leading in vegan sweets
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for sharing, Anna! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it! You may enjoy some of these other sweet recipes with veggies: https://minimalistbaker.com/1-bowl-vegan-gluten-free-carrot-cake/ and https://minimalistbaker.com/fudgy-vegan-double-chocolate-beet-muffins/
Angela says
Yes, yes, and yes. This cake was awesome, all three times I have made it. We have lots of zucchini and ball squash in the garden right now. I ground up the oats, used a kids smoothie pouch (pear blueberry chia, I believe) in place of the applesauce, and doubled the cinnamon. I also used less sugar the first time, and it’s still delicious. I frosted it with a regular cream cheese frosting. My husband, kids and I devoured it. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
How great! Thanks, Angela!
Liat says
Hi Dana. Is it possible to use just brown rice or just one type of gluten free flour instead of a blend? Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Liat, we don’t recommend that as it will likely yield a very dense texture. But if you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Amy P says
After finding this recipe, I have made these muffins a dozen times, at least. They always get rave reviews from people who have all types of diets, including people who eat everything! They are a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Thank you, so much, for putting together such a fantastic muffin!
p.s. Flax eggs are quick & easy to make; I use them in place of chicken eggs when I bake all the time
Kerstin Decker says
I made this cake but did not use the eggs. I am vegan, so i used egg replacer and it came out very good and healther than with the eggs
Amy says
Hi! Could you use maple syrup in place of the sugar? Trying to make a healthier cake for my 1 year old’s first birthday. Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Amy, we haven’t tried that, but it might work. You may need to adjust the amount of dry ingredients though. Hope that helps! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
leah says
don’t have GF oats and don’t bake GF much. It’s only a 1/4 C, do you think I’d be ok just adding more GF flour?\ and/or almond meal?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We would recommend blending a mix of GF flour and almond meal in place of the oats! Hope that helps!
Taylor Hanna says
I made these tonight for Christmas Eve. They were wonderful! Absolutely delicious!!! Nothing at all was lost from them being vegan. I used the cream cheese frosting recipe that you linked and it was really good, as well. Next time, though, I will cut the frosting recipe in half. It was definitely way too much (although I enjoyed eating a lot of it out of the bowl, heehee!)
Thanks!!
Taylor says
Oops, meant for this to be psoted to the cinnamon roll recipe!
Kay says
I loved this recipe! I made mine into a zucchini bread and substituted the nut meal and oats with 1-cup gold flax meal. I also did not have apple sauce so I grated an apple. I also added dark chocolate chips! It is delicious!!!
I am absolutely in love with this blog because the recipes are delicious, easy and allergen-friendly. It saves my life and from feeling like I am missing out. Thanks for the beautiful recipes.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Kay! we are so glad you enjoyed it!
katie says
i LOVE this recipe! i’m allergic to eggs, so i made it first per recipe using equivalent egg replacer and found it a little dense, so the second time tweaked the recipe a little based on the results of the first.
i used bob’s red milk egg replacer powder. the second time i made it, i used 3 tsp powder + 5 tbsp water (to make it more “egg white” heavy) and added another 1/2 tsp baking powder. for personal preference, i cut back on sugar to 1 1/4 cups and added 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. i raised the oven temp to 325 degrees and baked for 45 min. perfect light, fluffy texture!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Katie!
jean says
I made this yesterday. It’s a great recipe that really works and is delicious. The only change I made was using plain greek yogurt in place of the applesauce. Thanks for a great recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Jean!
Gail says
I made this cake yesterday using my family’s gluten free flour blend. I did not have the ingredients for the icing so I made a brown sugar frosting instead. It turned out absolutely delicious! In my area, zucchini grow very well and I always have a bumper crop. This is a great cake recipe for my zucchini.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We are glad you enjoyed it, Gail!
Barbie says
I have made this recipe five times now and can’t get enough of this moist delicious cake. I’m vegan so used the flax eggs and they worked perfectly. Since zucchini season is over, I’m now making this into a carrot cake ? using the same amounts but adding shredded carrots instead of zucchini plus a handful of raisins and walnuts to the mix. I added fiori di sicilia (a combination of citrus and vanilla) to the icing which gives it a nice zing. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We are so glad you’re loving this cake, Barbie! Great name by the way :D Let us know how the carrot cake turns out!
Lia Hergenrother says
Can I use spelt flour instead of the gluten free flour blend? Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm we haven’t tried and can’t say for sure. If you experiment with it, report back. Good luck!
D says
This recipe is great! I added some grated zucchini to the frosting just for fun. I served it for dessert as part of my “zucchini 7 ways” feast to use up our bumper crop.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! Glad you enjoyed it! :D
sunnybaby says
Hi! This is my first time making a recipe from this site. I am neither vegan nor gluten- free in my diet, but wanted to reduce consumption of gluten.
In short I had to make some modifications because I didnt have all ingredients, nonetheless, the recipe was a great starting point and the results were delicious!
Next time i will do the same and also reduce sugar to 1/2c as it was too sweet for my family.
Mods:
1. Homemade makeshift applesauce (vitamixed 6 apples, 2 slices of lemon, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1.5 c water – makes way more than needed for this recipe)
2. Adapted GF flour mix from this site (didnt have tapioca or wh. Rice flour so subbed with 1/2c wh. Wheat flour)
3. Only had 1c of zucchini (squeezed all water out) – so subbed in an extra 1/2c of the homemade applesauce
4. Used 2 eggs
5. Yield of 18 muffins @300 for 30 min
6. Added a few chunks of walnut in each muffin
Thank you @minimalistbaker!
Carolyn says
Looking for a recipe to use up some zucchini. Used 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup wholewheat flour and 1 cup white flour, olive oil, and baked in a loaf tin for 45 min. with chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chips. Super yummy as is or topped with coconut yogurt. This won’t last long, my husband said it’s the best thing I’ve baked….