The Ultimate Keto Zucchini Cake Recipe

If you're looking for a delicious keto-friendly cake recipe, then look no further than zucchini cake. This cake is not only moist and fluffy but also packed with nutrients from the zucchini. The best part? You won't even taste the zucchini!

This cake is perfect for those following a keto or low-carb diet as it is gluten-free and has a very low carb count. It can be made into a single or multi-layered cake and is easy to prepare.

Here's a simple recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:

- Zucchini

- Eggs

- Vanilla extract

- Sweetener of choice (monk fruit, erythritol, etc.)

- Coconut/almond flour

- Cinnamon

- Baking powder/soda

- Salt

- Cream cheese (for frosting)

- Butter (for frosting)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).

2. Grate the zucchini and squeeze out the excess water using a towel.

3. Combine dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, baking powder/soda, salt) in a large bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla extract, melted butter/oil, sweetener).

5. Add grated zucchini to the wet mixture and combine.

6. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until well combined.

7. Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan or loaf pan.

8. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

10. For the frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sweetener and vanilla extract to taste.

11. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and enjoy!

How to make a keto zucchini cake

Ingredients

Firstly, you will need to gather the following ingredients:

• Zucchini
• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Eggs
• Heavy cream or coconut cream
• Vanilla extract
• Granulated sweetener
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Lemon zest
• Chopped pecans or walnuts
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Unsweetened almond milk

Method

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray oil over the pan and baking paper. Set aside.
• Prepare the zucchini by grating it finely using a food processor or a hand grater. Place the grated zucchini in the centre of a clean towel, wrap and squeeze out the excess water. This step is important to ensure that your cake is not too moist. Set aside in a bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to beat the eggs, heavy cream, sweetener, and vanilla until light, fluffy, and whiter in colour. This should take about 30-45 seconds.
• Stir in the coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon zest.
• Beat the mixture again on medium speed to avoid the flour bursting out of the bowl. Continue beating until the batter is consistent and no lumps appear.
• Using a spatula, stir in the grated zucchini and chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden and a pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a cooling rack and let it cool for about 2 hours until it reaches room temperature.
• While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese and butter until they are well combined. Then, add in the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract and beat until the mixture is fluffy and creamy.
• Once the cake has reached room temperature, spread the frosting over the top of the cake. If desired, decorate with maple-chopped pecan nuts. To make the maple-chopped pecan nuts, simply roast the chopped pecans in a small non-stick frying pan over low heat for about 1 minute, stirring often to prevent burning. Then, add the sugar-free maple syrup and continue stirring until the nuts are sticky and fragrant.
• Cut the cake into 16 squares and serve.

Storage

Store the cake in an airtight cake box in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the cake slices in an airtight container and defrost each slice on a plate at room temperature before serving.

Tips for making a keto zucchini cake

• Grate the zucchini finely in a food processor or with a hand grater. You can keep the skin on for added texture.
• Place the grated zucchini in the centre of a clean towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Zucchini is made up of 80% water, so removing the excess water is crucial to prevent a watery cake that won't bake properly.
• Measure the flours carefully. Coconut flour is a high-fibre keto flour that absorbs a lot of water. Missing some of it will result in a cake that is too moist.
• Always cool the cake for at least two hours before spreading the frosting on top.
• If you want to make the cake dairy-free, swap the heavy cream with canned coconut cream in the batter and replace the cream cheese in the frosting with pure thick coconut yoghurt.
• Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start, especially the eggs and cream cheese.

Ingredients for a keto zucchini cake

A keto zucchini cake is a great way to use up some of that summer squash! Here are the ingredients you'll need to make a delicious and moist keto zucchini cake.

Dry ingredients

• Flour: You can use a combination of almond flour and coconut flour for this cake. The coconut flour helps offset the moisture of the zucchini. For a nut-free option, you can substitute with sunflower seed flour.
• Sweetener: You can use almost any sweetener of your choice for the cake, but if you plan on making a glaze or frosting, you'll need a powdered sweetener.
• Cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa powder is recommended for its deeper chocolate flavor.
• Protein powder: Unflavored whey protein helps the cake rise and gives it a fluffy texture. You can also use egg white protein powder or pea protein powder.
• Baking powder and soda: Both leavening agents are used to give the cake structure and stability.
• Salt: A pinch of salt to balance out the sweet ingredients.

Wet ingredients

• Eggs: Use eggs at room temperature for best results.
• Butter or oil: You can use either melted butter or oil in this recipe. For a dairy-free option, use coconut oil or avocado oil.
• Vanilla extract: A must for any good cake recipe.
• Zucchini: This recipe calls for finely grated zucchini. You can use a box grater or a food processor to grate the zucchini. There is no need to salt and drain the zucchini.
• Heavy whipping cream: Used in the glaze or frosting. For a dairy-free option, use coconut cream.
• Unsweetened chocolate: Make sure to use 100% unsweetened chocolate, which means no sweetener whatsoever.

Baking a keto zucchini cake

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to bake a keto zucchini cake:

• Zucchini
• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Eggs
• Erythritol or other sweetener
• Heavy cream or coconut cream
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Chopped pecan nuts or walnuts or sugar-free chocolate chips
• Cocoa powder
• Arrowroot powder
• Applesauce
• Vanilla extract
• Baking powder and soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon powder
• Lemon zest
• Chocolate frosting

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray oil all over the pan and baking paper. Set aside.
• Grate the zucchini finely using a food processor or a hand grater. Place the grated zucchini in the centre of a clean towel, wrap and squeeze hard to extract all the zucchini water. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, heavy cream, erythritol, and vanilla using an electric beater. Stop when light, fluffy and whiter in colour, about 30-45 seconds of beating.
• Stir in coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon zest.
• Beat again on medium speed to avoid the flours bursting out of the bowl. Stop when the batter is consistent and no lumps appear.
• Using a spatula, stir in grated zucchini and chopped pecan.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden and a pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a very little crumb.
• Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack for 2 hours until it reaches room temperature.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with butter and powdered erythritol until fluffy and creamy.
• Spread the frosting all over the top of the cake and decorate with maple-chopped pecan nuts if desired.
• Cut the cake into 16 squares.
• Store the cake in a cake box in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freeze the cake slices in an airtight container and defrost each slice on a plate at room temperature before eating.

Tips

• To make the cake dairy-free, replace heavy cream with canned coconut cream in the cake batter.
• For the frosting, replace the cream cheese with pure thick coconut yoghurt. Combine yoghurt with powdered sweetener and vanilla, with no need for butter or coconut oil.
• To avoid a watery cake, it is important to remove the water from the zucchini.
• To measure the flours accurately, use the scoop and sweep method.

Serving suggestions for a keto zucchini cake

There are many ways to serve a keto zucchini cake. Here are some suggestions:

• With a cup of coffee or tea: A zucchini cake is a perfect breakfast cake or coffee cake. It pairs well with a cup of coffee or tea.
• With fresh berries: Top the cake with some fresh berries for a refreshing treat.
• With whipped cream: A dollop of whipped cream on the side can complement the cake nicely.
• With ice cream: For a more indulgent dessert, serve the cake with a scoop of keto-friendly ice cream, such as coffee ice cream or vanilla ice cream.
• As a birthday cake: This cake can also be dressed up as a birthday cake. Simply frost it with your favorite keto-friendly frosting and add some candles!
• With a glass of milk: For a classic combination, serve the cake with a glass of milk, such as coconut milk or almond milk.

Frequently asked questions