You will fall in love with this Zucchini Crumb Cake. With its thick, crumble topping and a moist, tender texture is the ultimate comfort treat that’s so good you’ll forget it’s packed with veggies!
This Zucchini Crumb Cake Recipe will soon become your new favorite snack. Finely grated zucchini melts into the batter, adding incredible moisture without overpowering the flavor. Then, the cake is topped with a buttery, golden crumb streusel that adds the right amount of sweetness. Whether served for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, zucchini crumb cake is a delicious way to use up fresh zucchini.
For other delicious zucchini recipes you have to check out my Lemon Zucchini Bread, Spicy Zucchini Frittata, Cheesy Zucchini Tots, and Summer Corn and Zucchini Chowder.
Table of Contents
Why We Love This Zucchini Cake
- Perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or casual weekends at home.
- Sweet but not overly sugary, making it enjoyable any time of day.
- Kids love the flavor and don’t even realize there’s zucchini in it.
Recipe Ingredients
Zucchini – Adds moisture and lightness to the cake along with vitamins A, C and potassium.
Cinnamon – Essential for the crumb topping and used in both the cake and topping layers.
Pumpkin Pie Spice – Deepens the cake’s spiced profile, giving it a distinct, autumn-like feel.
For a full list of ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below.
Variations
Switch Out the Walnuts – Use almonds, pecans, granola, or oats instead for a different texture and flavor, or leave the nuts out entirely.
Add Dried Fruit – Mix in dried cranberries or raisins to the cake batter for a sweet, chewy addition.
Drizzle Frosting – For extra sweetness, drizzle melted vanilla or cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake while it’s still warm.
How to Make Zucchini Crumb Cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper; set aside.
Step 2: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl (with a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sour cream, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the shredded zucchini and gently mix in. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 4: Spread batter into prepared pan. Combine all topping ingredients in a small mixing bowl. When large crumbs form, sprinkle over the cake batter. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 20 minutes before cutting or removing.
Expert Tips
Grate Zucchini Finely – Use a box grater with a fine side to grate the zucchini. This helps it blend well into the batter, creating a smooth texture and adding moisture.
Pat Dry Zucchini – After shredding, pat the zucchini dry with a paper towel to eliminate extra moisture, which helps maintain the cake’s structure.
Chill Crumb Topping – Refrigerate the crumb topping for 10-15 minutes before adding to the batter. This keeps the topping chunky during baking.
FAQs
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is perfectly baked.
Yes, divide the batter into a muffin tin and follow the recipe as is, but bake for a shorter time. Check the muffins periodically for doneness to avoid overbaking.
Storage Information
STORE leftover cake at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2-5 days. To FREEZE, place it unwrapped in the freezer for an hour until solid, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It will stay good for up to 4 months.
When ready to eat, thaw it on the counter at room temperature.
Zucchini Crumb Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup zucchini - shredded
For the Crumb Topping
- 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cake flour - OR all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
- 1/3 cup walnuts - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl (with a hand mixer) or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sour cream, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the shredded zucchini and gently mix in. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Spread batter into prepared pan. Combine all topping ingredients in a small mixing bowl. When large crumbs form, sprinkle over the cake batter. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 20 minutes before cutting or removing.
This crumb cake tasted really good with a moist, tender center and a buttery crumb topping.
👍👍 excellent !! Doubled recipe exactly as posted. Used 2 – 9x9s. Gave one to my sweet elderly neighbors. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
Just found this. Hubby said “you haven’t made it yet?” 😄 we are buried in zucchini this year. So it’s on my list for tomorrow. I will come back and review.
I have one question. Can I double and use a 9×13? Thank you for posting.
Hi Bet,
The original recipe calls for a 9×9-inch baking pan, which has an area of 81 square inches. When you double the recipe, you’ll ideally want a pan that’s close to double that area.
A 13×9-inch baking dish has an area of 117 square inches, which is a bit more than 1.5 times the size of the 9×9-inch pan. While it’s not exactly double the size, it’s the most common next step up and will work quite well for a doubled recipe. The batter might be a tad thicker than in the original, so you might need to adjust the baking time slightly (by adding a few extra minutes) to ensure that the center is fully cooked.
If you have access to a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan, that’s even closer to double the size of the original (with an area of 150 square inches), and that would be another good option.
😄 wow thank you for your reply. Headed to make it now. Also, thank you for sharing your recipe.
Can I use all “all purpose’ flour, instead of 1/4 cup cake flour?
Hi Linda, yes, you can use all purpose flour instead of the 1/2 cup cake flour for the crumb topping.
Oh my lands! That crumb topping is so incredible! Buttery, sweet, delicious!!! Yummmmmm! And the bars? So moist. So delicious. Is this breakfast? Snack? Dessert? I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m eating this delicious cake and no one can stop me!
All day, every day. Eat away!