Zucchini Cake Brown Sugar Icing (Printable)
Tender, moist zucchini cake spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a buttery brown sugar icing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Zucchini Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
07 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
08 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
12 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13 - 2 cups finely grated zucchini
14 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
→ Brown Sugar Icing
15 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
16 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
17 - 2 tablespoons milk
18 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
19 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until homogeneous. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in yogurt and vanilla extract until smooth.
04 - Stir grated zucchini into the wet mixture. Fold in dry ingredients gently until just incorporated. If using, fold in chopped walnuts or pecans.
05 - Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
06 - Allow cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
07 - In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture gently boils. Maintain boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
08 - Whisk in sifted powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and spreadable.
09 - Spread icing over cooled cake. Allow icing to set before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- This icing sets up like a soft fudge layer and gives your cake a bakery finish with barely any effort.
- There's so much moisture in each slice that even folks wary of zucchini will ask for seconds, and the spices leave the house smelling magical.
02 -
- Once, I iced the cake while it was still warm and ended up with a delicious mess instead of a neat topping.
- Letting the icing cool five minutes makes all the difference in how smoothly it spreads and sets.
03 -
- If your zucchini seems extra watery, squeeze out some moisture for a dense-but-light texture.
- Use real vanilla for the icing—imitation just doesn’t have the same aromatic punch.