This time of year, the zucchini is in abundance and there is endless potential for using this great vegetable. If you are already a fan of zucchini bread, I’d like to introduce you to zucchini cake.
Zucchini Snack Cake with Orange Glaze is a fluffy yellow cake with specks of zucchini throughout and a hint of orange flavor.
This cake is perfect for snacking; we were slicing slivers off of it all weekend long! The texture is just firm enough to slice thin, without being dense at all. I recommend leaving a butter knife in the pan with the cake, just to keep things simple.
This is a light and fluffy cake perfect for any occasion. With the abundance of zucchini this time of year, this cake is a lovely way to use it. Not overly sweet, with hints of zucchini and orange throughout, this is the cake that might even convert zucchini haters into fans of the bountiful green vegetable.
COOK’S NOTE: I prefer store-bought juice for this recipe, simply because the flavor is stronger. Freshly squeezed juice will provide a much milder flavor, with barely a hint of citrus.
You can flip the cooled cake onto a cake plate for serving or serve the cake directly from the pan. Either method will work fine; you can glaze the cake in the pan or on the platter.
Zucchini Cake with Orange Glaze
Yield: 12 servings
1 medium-large Italian zucchini, shredded, about 1½ cups
¾ cups sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Glaze Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8 pan. Line a bowl with a triple layer of paper towels. Grate the zucchini and place it in the bowl with the paper towels. Use the paper towels to squeeze liquid from the shredded zucchini. Discard the liquid and place a clean paper towel in the bowl. Transfer the squeezed zucchini to the dry towel and let it rest for a few minutes.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and orange juice. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini and stir once more. Pour into the greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Whisk the orange juice into the powdered sugar to make the glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Zucchini Cake with Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large Italian zucchini shredded, about 1½ cups
- ¾ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 pan. Line a bowl with a triple layer of paper towels. Grate the zucchini and place it in the bowl with the paper towels. Use the paper towels to squeeze liquid from the shredded zucchini. Discard the liquid and place a clean paper towel in the bowl. Transfer the squeezed zucchini to the dry towel and let it rest for a few minutes.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs. Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and orange juice. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini and stir once more. Pour into the greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Whisk the orange juice into the powdered sugar to make the glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
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