Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s to the garden I go! And come back with loads of zucchini. And then bake with it. It’s in my blood people. This Lemon Blueberry Cake with loads of gorgeous Zucchini is going to be your new favorite dessert!! Don’t miss my 50 Best Cake Recipes if you want to be inspired!
Lemon Blueberry Cake
This cake is seriously amazing. The combination of lemons and blueberry is timeless, and adding in zucchini (courgettes)is the BEST way to add moisture! I used whole fresh blueberries in the cake and then added copious amounts of lemon flavor and zest to the cake and frosting. I think you will find that this cake is just plain perfect.
Zucchini in Baking
Some folks wonder why do I use zucchini in baking? First off, I love zucchini. It works amazing as a savory side or incorporated into desserts. No, you cannot taste the zucchini itself when you are baking, but you do reap the benefits of this vegetable that is packed with moisture.
I found this recipe over at allrecipes.com and it is officially labeled as Blueberry Zucchini Bread. I studied the ingredients and thought, there is no way I can pass this off as bread! Why not just make it in an 8-inch round cake pan and see how it goes.
It went. Right into my belly.
This cake is moist! Like amazingly so. I popped my cake into the freezer right after baking only because I wanted a nice clean cut. But I do recommend eating when it is still warm and the zucchini bits are lounging around the bursting blueberries in a delightful way.
Because this recipe is technically designed as a bread, this cake is pretty dense. Densely packed with deliciousness that is. 😉
I would really love to try this cake with raspberries, as my love for blueberries has inadvertently excluded all other fruit on my little baking blog. Maybe even a berry medley! Oh yeah. Definitely.
Off to bake!
This Lemon Blueberry Cake with loads of gorgeous Zucchini is going to be your new favorite dessert!!
- 2 cups finely shredded and lightly drained zucchini
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
- 1 cup (224g) vegetable oil
- 3 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (450g) white sugar
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 pint fresh blueberries, you can reserve a few for garnish if so desired
- 1 cup (226g) butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cupd confectioners sugar
- 1 lemon juice and zest of (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with butter and flour or use non-stick baking spray.
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Grate a large zucchini (or two small zucchini) and place in a clean dish towel. Life the edges of the towel up and squeeze some of the extra moisture out, but you do not want the zucchini to be dry. You will want 2 total cups of shredded zucchini after it has been drained. Set aside.
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In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini.
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Slowly add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
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Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
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Combine butter, sugar and salt and beat till well combined.
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Add lemon juice and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minute or until creamy.
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Fold in zest (If you are piping this buttercream, I recommend leaving out the zest).
Recipe Video
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If you like this cake be sure to check out my other amazing Zucchini Recipes!
Like these Double Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes. Seriously the best chocolate cupcakes, ever!
Amanda, Can you pretty please add a photo option to the “Print recipe”. I hate not having a photo as the pdf when I print/save your recipes.
I absolutely love this cake. I want to know can I make it as a sheet cake? Would I have to change the cooking time?
This cake is so delicious! I added poppy seeds for extra bite which worked really well. And opted for a cream cheese icing, but will try butter cream next! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I used a 12 inch pan and it came out perfectly. I wasn’t a fan of the lemony frosting (and I didn’t put as much zest) I am going to use the frosting from your to-die-for carrot cake next time. I can’t wait! I think that will be the perfect pair. Thank you for this recipe.
Your desserts make my mouth water. They are easy and use everyday ingredients. I love your posts. God bless you. Patty leathers
Any suggestions on how to make this into a cupcake recipe? What would the baking time be?
I made this cake for Mother’s Day and it was absolutely delicious!!! I LOVED the lemony frosting!! This recipe is a keeper!!! Everyone loved it!!!
I have made this as both a cupcake recipe and a 9×13 recipe – for cupcakes I start checking at about 16-17 minutes, and usually take about 20-22 minutes. 9×13 cake takes about 30-40 minutes (my oven is finicky so I always start checking really early in the process). This is one of my favorite cakes, and the one that everyone asks me to make – in fact, I made it for my best friend’s wedding!!!