Julie Goodwin’s spiced zucchini cake
Julie Goodwin’s rich zucchini cake is spiced with warm cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom and topped with luscious cream cheese icing.
- 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
- ½ cup (75g) plain flour
- ½ teaspoon bicarb soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 3 zucchini (250g), grated coarsely
- 1 cup (110g) walnuts, roasted, chopped coarsely
- ½ cup (110g) brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (160ml) olive oil
- ½ cup (175g) golden syrup
- 3 eggs, beaten lightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- CREAM CHEESE ICING
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 125g butter, softened
- ¾ cup (120g) icing sugar mixture
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line the base and side of a 25cm round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the flours, bicarb soda, spices and mix well with a wire whisk. Stir through the zucchini and walnuts. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, syrup, eggs and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
- CREAM CHEESE ICING Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and add the icing sugar in two batches. Beat until smooth.
- Spread cream cheese icing over top of zucchini cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Unsure about zucchini in a cake? Don’t be!
The moist texture and mild flavour of zucchini is the perfect addition to this sweet spiced bake. Are you looking for more baking recipes from Julie Goodwin?
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line the base and side of a 25cm round cake pan.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, bicarb soda, spices and mix well with a wire whisk. Stir through the zucchini and walnuts. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, syrup, eggs and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set.
Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. CREAM CHEESE ICING Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add vanilla and add the icing sugar in two batches. Beat until smooth.
Spread cream cheese icing over top of zucchini cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Zucchini cake substitutions
- Substitute the zucchini for carrots if you like.
- This cake can also be cooked in a 20cm x 30cm slice pan.
Can you freeze zucchini cake?
Yes, you can! To freeze this cake, wrap the cake or slice tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil, or place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. Store it in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Do not microwave this cake as the icing will melt.
Flavour variations
For more options, try our chocolate and zucchini cake or this lemon and zucchini polenta cake.
If you need a show-stopper, you’ll love this zucchini layer cake with honeyed figs. This recipe ran in The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2018 and was published online in 2025.