Description
Moist lemon zucchini cake brings Mediterranean sunshine to classic baking with its creamy cream cheese center. Tangy citrus notes and garden-fresh zucchini create a delightful dessert you’ll savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (100 grams) grated zucchini
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 pack (225 grams / 8 oz) cream cheese
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- Zest of ½ lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Filling Preparation: Whisk cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract into a silky, uniform mixture, setting aside while assembling cake components.
- Oven Setup: Heat oven and thoroughly grease cake pan to ensure easy cake release.
- Zucchini Processing: Grate zucchini and meticulously remove excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel to maintain optimal cake consistency.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Blend flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry foundation for the cake structure.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Energetically combine eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes light and aerated.
- Batter Construction: Delicately fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, maintaining a gentle mixing technique to preserve the cake’s tender texture.
- Flavor Incorporation: Gently fold zucchini and lemon zest throughout the batter, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Layer Assembly: Pour half the batter into the prepared pan, creating a smooth base layer for the cream cheese filling.
- Filling Application: Spread cream cheese mixture evenly across the initial batter layer, ensuring complete coverage.
- Final Batter Layer: Carefully top the cream cheese filling with remaining batter, smoothing the surface and eliminating air pockets.
- Baking Process: Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick emerges clean, signaling complete cooking.
- Cooling and Finishing: Allow cake to rest in pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, finishing with a dusting of powdered sugar or a light lemon glaze.
Notes
- Squeeze Zucchini Thoroughly: Remove maximum moisture from grated zucchini to prevent a soggy cake texture and ensure a perfectly light, fluffy result.
- Balance Mixing Technique: Fold wet and dry ingredients gently to maintain cake’s delicate structure, avoiding overmixing which can create a tough, dense texture.
- Distribute Filling Carefully: Spread cream cheese layer evenly across the first batter layer to guarantee consistent flavor and texture in every slice.
- Temperature Control Matters: Allow cake to cool completely before adding powdered sugar or glaze to prevent melting and maintain the decorative finish’s crisp appearance.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 296
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg