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Made with crushed pineapple, shredded zucchini, coconut, and a tangy cream cheese frosting, this pineapple zucchini cake is a moist, flavorful cake that’s good for the tip of summer time.
That is the time of yr the place my gardening family and friends begin to present up with additional zucchini, begging me to take it off their arms. Which is why I’ve fairly the gathering of zucchini recipes that I’ve created through the years.
One factor I like is an effective zucchini cake. I’ve made a bunch of variations, together with chocolate zucchini cake, lemon zucchini cake, and a zucchini cake with maple cream cheese frosting.
This pineapple zucchini cake is a giant favourite. Pineapple and zucchini have been meant to go collectively, and if you add a tangy cream cheese frosting? Completely good.
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Completely scrumptious pineapple zucchini cake
I keep in mind first discovering this pineapple zucchini cake recipe on The Pioneer Lady’s Tasty Kitchen. I had a bunch of zucchini that wanted for use and simply so occurred to have what I wanted to make this cake.
I used to be most intrigued by the truth that the recipe solely known as for 3 tablespoons of oil. I used to be nervous that it wouldn’t be sufficient for a moist cake, however seems that I used to be unsuitable.
The zucchini and pineapple each add taste and moisture to this recipe, making for a wonderfully textured, scrumptious cake.
And you understand how a lot I like cream cheese frosting, so it shouldn’t be a shock that I adore it on this cake. The tanginess of the cream cheese is the proper complement to the sweetness of this cake.
When you love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, this pineapple zucchini cake is your subsequent must-try recipe.
The way to make this pineapple zucchini cake
This can be a tremendous simple cake to throw collectively. You don’t want a mixer, in order that’s one much less factor so that you can clear later.
Elements you’ll want
For the pineapple zucchini cake itself, you’ll want:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons floor cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 giant eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini
- 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple In juice, drained
In case your zucchini is basically huge, go forward and scrape out the seeds from the middle earlier than grating it. It will preserve the zucchini from being overly watery.
After grating my zucchini, I wish to unfold it out on a couple of layers of paper towels. This drains off a few of the extra moisture with out wringing all of it out. After it dries a bit, I measure out 2 cups.
Whenever you drain the pineapple, reserve the juice. That is helpful in case you want it to skinny out your cake batter or the frosting later.
Making this cake
This pineapple zucchini cake is baked in a 9×13-inch pan. Grease the pan with nonstick spray and optionally line it with parchment paper.
To make the cake batter, begin by whisking collectively the flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In one other bowl, whisk collectively the oil, eggs, and vanilla, then stir this combination into the dry components together with the grated zucchini and drained pineapple.
The batter could begin off a bit stiff, however ought to turn out to be extra moist as you combine it collectively. When you really feel it nonetheless wants a bit extra liquid, be at liberty so as to add a small splash of the pineapple juice.
Unfold the batter into the ready pan. Bake at 350°F for 33-35 minutes, or till the cake is pulling away from the perimeters of the pan and a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. Let the cake cool utterly on a wire rack.
When the cake is cool, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter along with a mixer for about 5 minutes. Make sure that to scrape down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted.
Add the powdered sugar and blend till easy, then add the vanilla. Beat the frosting on medium velocity for about 5 extra minutes; add a splash of the pineapple juice if you happen to really feel it must be thinned out a bit.
Unfold the cream cheese frosting on high of the cooled cake and garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts if you happen to like.
Storage ideas
Retailer this pineapple zucchini cake lined within the fridge for 3-4 days.
If you wish to freeze the cake for longer-term storage, that’s an possibility as properly:
For extra particulars, try my put up on methods to freeze cake.
Freeze the entire, unfrosted cake wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap adopted by a layer of foil for as much as 2 months.
Freeze the frosting in an hermetic container for 1-2 months. After thawing, carry it to room temperature and whip it with a mixer for a couple of minutes earlier than including it to the thawed cake.
Freeze particular person slices by putting them on a sheet tray within the freezer till agency. Wrap slices in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for as much as a month.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t like coconut or have an allergy, be at liberty to omit the coconut from this recipe. You too can select to make use of unsweetened coconut if you happen to like.
When you don’t like baking with vegetable or canola oil, you may substitute avocado oil or one other neutral-flavored oil.
You wish to retain a few of the moisture within the zucchini to ensure that the cake to end up moist, so don’t press out all the water.
As a substitute, take away the seeds if working with a big zucchini. After grating, lay the zucchini out onto a couple of layers of paper towels. It will absorb extra moisture with out taking out all of it.
Chopped pecans or walnuts are a wonderful addition to this pineapple zucchini cake! I add ¾ cup to 1 cup of chopped nuts. When you’ve got the additional time, toasted nuts carry much more taste to the recipe.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray (1) 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir egg combination, grated zucchini, and pineapple into the flour combination. The batter may appear to be a bit dry and stiff, however as you combine, it ought to turn out to be a bit extra moist. If it nonetheless appears too dry as soon as it’s completely mixed, add a bit of splash of the reserved pineapple juice to moisten the batter.
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Spoon batter into the ready pan and bake in preheated oven for 33-35 minutes or till a picket decide inserted within the middle comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from the perimeters of the pan. Cool utterly on a wire rack.
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As soon as the cake has cooled to room temperature, put together the frosting. Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a big bowl with an electrical hand mixer, cream collectively cream cheese and butter till properly mixed, about 5 minutes, scraping the perimeters of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
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With the mixer on low, step by step add the powdered sugar till completely integrated and easy. Add vanilla and blend to mix. Flip the mixer to medium velocity and blend for roughly 5 extra minutes, scraping the perimeters and backside of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
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Frost the cake and if desired sprinkle the highest with toasted and chopped pecans or walnuts.
- In case your zucchini are giant, scrape the seeds out of the middle earlier than you shred it so it’s not too watery.
- When prepping my zucchini, I unfold all of it out on layers of paper towel to empty it and dry it off a bit earlier than measuring out the two cups.
- Nuts can be added to the cake batter if desired. I’d add about ¾ to 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- This recipe makes a really beneficiant quantity of frosting, if you happen to favor much less frosting, I’d recommend halving the frosting components.
- Useful sources:
- Be sure you know methods to measure flour accurately earlier than you begin baking.
- Learn to make powdered sugar so you may whip up a easy substitute if you happen to run out.
- Learn to soften cream cheese and methods to soften butter in case you overlook to set yours out forward of time.
From Pioneer Lady through Tasty Kitchen
Energy: 358kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 3g, Fats: 12g, Saturated Fats: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 3g, Trans Fats: 0.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 345mg, Potassium: 137mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 50g, Vitamin A: 357IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1mg
Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
