A neighbor gifted me with a giant zucchini the other day. My first inclination was to make zucchini bread, but then I ran across this recipe in one of my Amish cookbooks.
I’m pretty sure that the 3 cups of veggies in this cake off set the naughtiness of the cream cheese frosting.
The only change I made to the recipe was to bake it in a jelly roll pan instead of a 9×13 size. I would also like to say that I did shred the carrots and zucchini the way the Amish would. I don’t have a food processor, but I want one. I want much.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Zucchini Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups shredded zucchini
- 1 cup shredded carrots
For the frosting
- 1 stick butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
For the cake
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Mix in the oil, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.
- Stir in zucchini and carrots.
- Pour into greased jelly roll pan (15″x10″).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can also bake it in 9×13 pan for 45 minutes.
- Cool, then top with cream cheese frosting.
For the frosting
- Mix butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth and spreadable.
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Mix butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend until smooth and spreadable.
My kids were not too sure about a cake with both zucchini and carrots in it, but they ate it up. This has to be one of the most delicious ways to eat your veggies.
I can’t wait for my zucchini to grow! I’ll give this one a personal taste test at home for sure!
Love love love zucchini cake. I reecently posted a recipe for my Zucchini Blueberry Cake. By adding zucchini to any baked good you add so much moisture. Adding carrots is a great idea. I’ll have to try that one!
Can’t wait to try this. Carrot cake is my number 1 fav. dessert, so always looking forward to new recipes to try! Thanks for sharing.
Yum! LOVE the idea of combining zucchini with carrots all in one cake. Brilliant! 🙂
I am ready to run down the street and beg the farmer for some Zucchini tonight! It looks so yummy! It will be on our “try” list ASAP! Thanks for posting this recipe!
Looks yummy! I have never added carrots before, great idea!
~Liz
I made this tonight and it was delish! Thanks for the recipe. I linked to you in my post today.
Made this last night (and subbed more zucchini for the carrot since I didn’t have carrots on hand), and it turned out great! Thanks so much! =)
Sounds like a wonderful combination. I would bake it in a jelly roll pan too – I like lots of frosting with little cake. Thanks for sharing. I plan on making this soon.
Do you know approx. how many zucchinis and carrots I should get? I don’t want to buy way too many or too few. Also, is there a way to sub at least some of the TWO CUPS of sugar? I just can’t bring myself to add that much sugar to anything! Thanks!
Marissa, I would think about 3-4 carrots and about 4 medium zucchini. I think the recipe should be pretty forgiving if you have a bit more or less than the amount called for. As for the sugar, you could try just cutting part of it out. I don’t usually do that, but I know others have done it with other recipes and it works for them.
i just made this for my bday treat for work and I only used 1 medium zucchini and I used carrots already shredded but I also chopped the carrots in to smaller pieces so it aint stringy. I was a great hit at work and I myself love this recipe. I was really shocked on how much sugar was also in here but once I made it I didn’t think it tasted sugary. my grandma when she bakes anything she substitute have the sugar with splenda. u could try that. good luck.
Num Num Num
I have so many zucchini’s even though it has barely rained. This recipe tastes yum yum yum. Just swapped all the seperate ingredients for SR Flour. I also swapped 1/2 the sugar for nativa (natural sweetner) and then only added in a 1/2 cup. Guess it depends on how sweet you like it but definitely still was moist and yum.
This was delicious and so easy! I added ginger, ground cloves, and chopped walnuts. I used a 13 x 9” pan and baked it for 40minutes. It came out perfectly!
That sounds wonderful, Sue!!
Love it! I baked this cake omitting the 2 cups of sugar and substituting coconut oil for the vegetable oil. I am a massive sweet tooth and I love all things sweet but I don’t think you miss it with the frosting. Very happy with how it turned out. Love the cream cheese frosting too but might put a little less sugar in next time (say 3 cups)