My Zucchini Spice Snack Cake with Cinnamon Maple Buttercream is a soft, moist cake packed with warm spices and topped with a creamy, sweet buttercream. It’s the perfect way to use up summer zucchini while creating a dessert that tastes like fall.
The extra soft crumb and cozy spice flavor make this cake feel special while still being quick and easy to throw together in a single cake pan. It’s the kind of snack cake you’ll want with coffee, tea, or straight from the pan.
This zucchini cake is perfect for late summer and early fall, when fresh zucchini meets cozy spice-season baking. It’s also great during the holiday months when warm, spiced desserts are always welcome.
Bring it to potlucks, serve it as an after-school treat, or make it for a cozy weekend dessert. Its simple, rustic style makes it just as perfect for casual snacking as for holiday gatherings.
If you loved this cake, try my Zucchini Brownies for another rich and sneaky veggie-filled dessert or my sourdough zucchini muffins. You’ll also love my Pumpkin Banana Muffins for a cozy, spiced breakfast treat.
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Ingredients
The ingredients are pantry-friendly—just basic baking staples, fresh zucchini, and a little maple syrup for the buttercream.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Neutral oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Grated zucchini (no need to peel)
- Whole milk or buttermilk
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This zucchini snack cake is simple to make, with an easy batter and a quick buttercream that comes together effortlessly in a stand mixer.
Step 1: Make the batter: Whisk dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla, milk, and zucchini, then fold in dry ingredients until just combined.
Step 2: Bake the cake: Pour batter into a greased and lined 8x8 pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 3: Make the buttercream: Beat butter until fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, adding cream or milk as needed for a smooth, spreadable texture.
Step 4: Frost & serve: Once the cake is completely cool, spread with buttercream, slice into squares, and enjoy.
Hint: Don’t wring out the zucchini! Its natural moisture keeps the crumb soft and tender, allowing you to skip extra butter or dairy in the batter.
Substitutions
Need to make a few swaps? Here are some easy options:
- Oil for Butter: Use vegetable or canola oil in the cake batter instead of butter for an even moister crumb.
- Brown Sugar for White Sugar: Swap half (or all) of the granulated sugar for brown sugar to add extra warmth and depth.
- Spices: If you don’t have individual spices, replace them with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend made for baking—results may be slightly softer but still delicious.
- Dairy-free:
Variations
Want to change things up? Here are a few fun ideas:
- Add Nuts: Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans for extra crunch.
- Make it Chocolatey: Sprinkle mini chocolate chips into the batter for a sweet twist.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Swap the cinnamon maple buttercream for a tangy cream cheese frosting if you love that classic zucchini cake vibe.
- Plain Snack Cake: Skip the frosting for an everyday coffee cake-style treat—just dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Vegetable grater and medium bowl for the shredded zucchini
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- 8 inch cake pan or 8x8 square pan
- Stand mixer (or other large bowl with a hand mixer for the buttercream)
- Parchment paper
Storage
Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze frosted or unfrosted cake slices for up to 2 months, wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; thaw in the refrigerator (to minimize condensation).
Top tip
Hint: For accurate results, weigh your ingredients!!
Related
Looking for other sweet recipes like this? Try these:
Spiced Zucchini Snack Cake With Cinnamon Maple Buttercream
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Vegetable grater and medium bowl for the shredded zucchini
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- 8 inch cake pan or 8x8 square pan
- Stand mixer (or other large bowl with a hand mixer for the buttercream)
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 180 g all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 150 g brown sugar ¾ cup
- 50 g granulated sugar ¼ cup
- 120 ml neutral oil ½ cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200 g grated zucchini packed (1 ½ cups, no need to peel)
- 60 ml whole milk or buttermilk ¼ cup
For the cinnamon maple buttercream:
- 113 g unsalted butter at room temperature (½ cup)
- 180–200 g powdered sugar sifted (1 ½ to 1 ⅔ cups)
- 2 ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 1–2 teaspoon heavy cream or milk as needed for texture
Instructions
- Prep the pan: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8-inch square or round pan.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Whisk wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in zucchini: Stir grated zucchini into the wet mix. Add milk and stir again.
- Combine: Add dry to wet and fold gently until just combined.
- Bake: Spread into pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool & glaze: Cool completely. Whisk glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle generously.
- Beat the butter: In a medium bowl, beat the butter on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar: Add sifted powdered sugar in two additions, beating on low to combine, then increasing to medium-high.
- Add maple, vanilla, cinnamon and salt: Pour in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Adjust texture: Add a splash of cream or milk, a teaspoon at a time, until it’s spreadable and silky.
Notes
- For accurate results, weigh your ingredients!!
- Note: Don’t wring out the zucchini! Its natural moisture keeps the crumb soft and tender, allowing you to skip extra butter or dairy in the batter.
- Storage: Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze frosted or unfrosted cake slices for up to 2 months, wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; thaw in the refrigerator (to minimize condensation).
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