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Vegan Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting

September 4, 2015 by Lisa Le 11 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Every one loves zucchini chocolate cake, but what about zucchini cinnamon cake?
Vegan zucchini cake with lemon frosting is lightly sweet and summery,
Perfect for using that summer squash for dessert!
It’s healthy if there are vegetables in it… right?

Vegan Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting | The Viet Vegan

It’s a virtual baby shower! We are celebrating the addition to the Clark’s Condensed Family! Katie Clark, from Clark’s Condensed and The Blog Help is going to be welcoming their second son at the end of September. I’m in a constant state of baby-crazy, and it makes me so happy to see my blog friends popping out babies left right and centre. I love whenever they post photos of their babies growing, funny stories about the classic kooky things that only kids do, or just glimpses into motherhood that are simply so fascinating to me.

Katie is an amazing blogger who has taken her little blog corner and turned it into an empire of all things family. It’s a wonderful space and I’m so happy for her family and their new little one who’s on the way!
Vegan Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting | The Viet Vegan

It's a Baby shower for Katie from Clark's Condensed and the Online Blog Conference Community is throwing her a Virtual Baby Shower!
Check out all of these great Baby Shower Ideas from your friends at the Online Blog Conference!
Activities and Gifts
Custom Baby Mobile from Live Like You are Rich
Baby Shower Unscramble Games from Sight and Sound Reading
Baby Shower Gifts from Grown Ups Magazine
How to make a Baby Diaper Wreath from Madame Deals
Snacks and Drinks
BBQ Cheese Crescents from The Bitter Side of SweetPumpkin Spice Baby Shower Mints from Mama Plus One
Easy Dinosaur Cookies from Cake Whiz
Gender Reveal Cookies from Taste of Lizzy T

Sugar Cookie Fruit Cups from Bitz and Giggles

Muddy Buddies for a Boy from Made From Pinterest
Desserts
Elephant Cake Pops from Pint Sized Baker
Rice Krispie Treat Pops from Persnickety Plates
Baby Shower Dessert Cheesecake Baby from Hungry Happenings
Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream with Lavendar Infused Olive Oil from The Joyful Foodie
Gluten Free Cream Cheese Brownie Ice Cream from Flippin Delicious

Vegan Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting | The Viet Vegan

I am in a constant state of baby crazy. I don’t know what it is. I love babies. I’ve always loved babies. Little baby booties, the smell of babies, the coos and gurgles of an infant. I think my favourite thing is seeing little chubby eating and pooping blobs transition and grow into bigger, chubbier, eating and pooping tiny humans with wants and needs and personality.

Every now and then I am utterly floored by the idea that I have the capability of growing a tiny human inside my body. I know, barf. I have many friends who want nothing to do with making babies. It’s okay friends, you will be my kids’ crazy aunts who bring them presents and take them on fun trips. I’m just so enamoured with the idea of creating someone who will laugh, cry, and break hearts.  Kids have this fresh outlook on life that is just so fascinating. They teach you to question everything, to have unconditional love, patience, kindness, and to rethink the realities that you’ve built around yourself. I definitely don’t want it right at this very moment, but I’m really excited to one day experience pregnancy and motherhood.

Vegan Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting | The Viet Vegan

That being said, I am not ready to be a mother, nor am I in a place where I can create a family. I am perfectly happy to be the friend that comes by and whisks away your baby to give you time to shower, take a cat nap, or simply exist without having this fussy blob at your beck and call. In the meantime, Katie, if you want to post a gazillion baby pictures and need someone with whom to gush about your baby, I’m your girl.
I hope you like this zucchini cake with lemon frosting. The cake is tender and fluffy, but still has a comforting weight to it that many veggie cakes are wont to have. Carrot cakes, pumpkin cakes, even applesauce cake has this density to them that I prefer over light and airy box birthday cakes. This cake has oomph. The lemon frosting has pizazz. There is so much fibre in this cake that it has to be healthy… right? I definitely feel better about eating a slice of this cake than traditional birthday cake that’s covered in sprinkles. The cinnamon and zucchini meld so well together, and the lemon frosting just adds a light, summery zing to this cake.
Print Recipe

Vegan Zucchini Cake with Lemon Frosting

Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time40 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Servings: 1
Author: Lisa Le

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3 flax eggs 3 tbsp flax meal + 9 tbsp warm water
  • 2 small zucchinis finely grated (about 2 cups grated)
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Vegan butter to grease the cake pans

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup vegan shortening
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter I used Earth Balance
  • 2 cups icing sugar
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of one lemon ~3 tbsps
  • 2-3 tbsp soy milk depending on how thick you like your frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Prepare two round cake pans by lining the bottom with parchment circles and greasing the sides.
  • Combine flax meal and water in a small bowl and let stand to thicken for at least 3 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, stir in zucchini, flax eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, sugar and cinnamon until combined.
  • Sift in flour, baking powder and salt, mix until just combined.
  • Divide evenly between two prepared cake pans and use an angled spatula or a spoon to even out the batter. If you have them, use cake strips soaked in water to wrap around the cake pans to encourage even baking and a flat cake.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle.
  • Remove from oven and let cool. Turn over on wire rack and let cool before icing.
  • Prepare frosting by whipping shortening and butter until creamy. In another bowl, grate lemon zest into the icing sugar. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar to infuse the flavour into the sugar. Add icing sugar to creamed butter and shortening, then add in lemon juice and soy milk. Whip until fluffy.
  • Once your cakes have cooled, trim them to be flat (if you didn't have the cake strips I mean), then ice them with the cut sides facing inside, and the perfect, curved sides facing out. Ice them with a crumb coat and then frost normally OR just do my lazy naked cake icings like in the photos. You do you, folks.
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Filed Under: Baking, Dessert, Vegan recipes Tagged With: baby shower, cake, frosting, icing, lemon, vegan, zucchini

About Lisa Le

Lisa is the thirty-something, nerdy, procrastinating, feminist blogger and photographer behind The Viet Vegan. She loves spicy foods, noodles, and food in bowls.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says

    September 4, 2015 at 10:53 AM

    That is the best kind of friend! :) This cake sounds divine!

    Reply
  2. Sarah says

    September 4, 2015 at 5:47 PM

    When you add the zucchini? It’s mentioned in the ingredients but not in the instructions.

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      September 4, 2015 at 6:36 PM

      Whoops! At the beginning with the other wet ingredients =P i’ve updated the recipe, thanks for catching that!

      Reply
      • Sarah says

        September 4, 2015 at 8:01 PM

        Thanks! I’m making this for my dad’ birthday tomorrow :)

        Reply
  3. Katie @ Clarks Condensed says

    September 4, 2015 at 11:42 PM

    You’re such a good friend Lisa! I will have lots of baby pictures to share soon, hopefully :) I can’t wait to try this recipe. We have quite a few zucchini’s I’ve been wanting to use up, and this would be the perfect recipe to do it with!

    Reply
    • naz Khan says

      February 23, 2019 at 5:34 AM

      What size pan?

      Reply
      • Lisa Le says

        March 2, 2019 at 12:22 AM

        I believe my pans are 8inch rounds, but you can do 8 or 9 inch, it doesn’t really matter.

        Reply
  4. Xavier says

    September 10, 2017 at 12:36 PM

    I don’t usually comment on recipes but this one blew my guests away! Some saying it was their best cake ever… O_O So thanks, this is going in my best of! :D

    Reply
    • Lisa Le says

      September 14, 2017 at 8:15 PM

      Yay! I’m so glad! Thank you for the feedback :)

      Reply
  5. Jivan Dios says

    March 15, 2021 at 5:14 AM

    This looks amazing! I love zucchini in desserts. Can’t wait to bake this.

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth Daldorph-Harrington says

    August 14, 2022 at 9:08 AM

    This really is a fabulous cake, thank you for sharing the recipe…it is THE failsafe cake! Delicious!

    Reply

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