Our easy gluten-free zucchini cake gets its lovely flavor from warm spices, vanilla, and a rich brown butter cream cheese frosting you’ll adore.
It’s zucchini season—farmers’ markets and gardens are overflowing. This gluten-free zucchini cake is a classic summer dessert that highlights the season’s best produce. Light, plush, and very moist, the cake is flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, balanced with vanilla and brown sugar, and finished with an irresistible brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Fluffy, tender, and ultra moist, this sheet-pan cake is straightforward enough for beginners and great for serving a crowd.
Perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or a family dessert, this recipe starts with simple pantry ingredients and easy techniques.
Simple Ingredients To Get Started
This cake shares many ingredients with a classic carrot cake. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend. Use a 1:1 blend that contains xanthan gum for best results. Weigh the flour or use the scoop-and-level method to avoid packing too much flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda. Make sure they are fresh so the cake rises properly.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. These warm spices enhance the cake’s flavor.
- Neutral oil. Vegetable, canola, or another neutral oil keeps the cake moist. Avoid substituting butter, which will produce a drier result.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar. The combination gives depth and sweetness.
- Eggs. They provide structure and lift.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Adds moisture and a touch of natural sweetness.
- Vanilla extract. Essential for flavor.
- Grated zucchini. There’s no need to peel or squeeze it—its moisture is accounted for in the recipe.
- Brown butter cream cheese frosting. Browned butter adds caramel-like, toffee notes to a classic cream cheese frosting for a richer finish.
How To Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake, Step By Step
The full recipe with exact measurements appears in the recipe card below.
Start By Baking The Cake
- Preheat & prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 metal baking pan and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix wet and dry. Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir until almost combined, leaving a few dry streaks.
- Fold in zucchini. Add the grated zucchini and stir until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
Then, Frost & Finish The Cake
- Brown butter and chill. Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, whisking as it foams. When the milk solids turn golden and emit a nutty aroma, remove from heat, scrape the brown bits into a bowl, and chill until solidified.
- Beat the butter. Beat the chilled brown butter with a hand mixer until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add cream cheese. Beat in softened cream cheese until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Finish the frosting. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix slowly at first, then beat on high until light and fluffy.
- Frost cooled cake. Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
- Serve and store. Slice and serve. Store leftovers refrigerated for 2–3 days, covered to retain moisture.
Baking Tricks To Help You
A few tips to ensure the best texture and flavor:
- Measure flour correctly. Weigh your flour or use the scoop-and-level method to avoid dry or gummy cake.
- Grate zucchini properly. Grate evenly so moisture distributes throughout the batter.
- Soften cream cheese. Use one of several quick methods to get smooth, lump-free frosting.
- Brown butter carefully. Watch it closely—once it starts to brown, it changes quickly. Browned butter adds rich, toasty flavor to the frosting.
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake
Do I need to squeeze the zucchini? No. This recipe accounts for zucchini moisture, so you don’t need to peel or squeeze it.
Can I use regular cream cheese frosting? Yes. A classic cream cheese frosting works well if you prefer not to brown the butter.
Can I Make this In A Different Pan?
Yes. This batter adapts well to different pans—adjust bake times accordingly:
- Bundt pan: Use a 10-cup bundt pan and bake 50–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Grease well to prevent sticking.
- Cupcakes: The batter yields about 3 dozen cupcakes. Fill liners two-thirds full and bake 18–20 minutes.
- Layer cake: Divide batter between two 9-inch round pans and bake 25–30 minutes. You may want to increase the frosting amount for full coverage.
Swaps & Substitutions
- Gluten-free flour: Do not swap to almond, oat, or coconut flour—use a 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum.
- Oil: Neutral oils like vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or avocado work. Avoid butter or strongly flavored oils.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is recommended. Substitutes such as mashed banana or pineapple will change the flavor.
- Eggs: The recipe hasn’t been tested with egg substitutes. If needed, try a powdered egg replacer or flax eggs with caution.
- Frosting: Classic cream cheese frosting can be used in place of the brown butter version.
More Gluten-Free Zucchini Recipes To Try
Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Soft Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread
Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins
Recipe Card
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Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake
5 from 1 review
- Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Our easy gluten-free zucchini cake gets delicious flavor from warm spices, vanilla, and a gorgeous brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
For The Zucchini Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable or other neutral oil
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated zucchini*
For The Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 8 ounces (226 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
Instructions
First, Make The Zucchini Cake
- Preheat & prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 metal pan.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients. Whisk oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add dry to wet. Stir until almost combined.
- Mix in zucchini. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Bake. Smooth batter into the pan and bake 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely. Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
Make Frosting & Finish The Cake
- Brown butter and chill. Melt butter, brown until nutty, then cool and chill until solid.
- Beat butter. Beat chilled brown butter until smooth.
- Beat in cream cheese. Add softened cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Finish frosting. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Frost cooled cake. Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake.
- Serve & store. Slice and serve. Store refrigerated for 2–3 days, covered.
Notes
- Gluten-free flour: Use a 1:1 blend with xanthan gum and measure accurately by weight or scoop-and-level.
- Zucchini: No need to peel or squeeze—moisture is accounted for.
- Food safety: Because of the cream cheese frosting, store the cake in the refrigerator and do not leave it out more than 2 hours at room temperature.
- Other pans: See the instructions above for bundt, cupcakes, or layer cake variations.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixer
- Cuisine: American