Having a husband that plants one too many zucchini plants means that by the end of the summer my family is looking for ways to put zucchinis in almost every dish. Zucchini bread is great, but I love the addition of the sweetness of carrots, the texture of the pecans and the warmth of the cinnamon and cardamom. The addition of citrus to the cake and the cream cheese icing adds to the complexity. This Zucchini and Carrot Olive Oil Cake is a great snack cake to have at a summer celebration. Zucchini loves to grow in our Western PA summers, so head to farmers’ markets in Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Squirrel Hill, Sewickley … or anywhere on TABLE’s 2025 market schedule.
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Zucchini and Carrot Olive Oil Cake
- Total Time: Ready in 1.5-2 hours
- Yield: Serves 8 people 1x
Description
A great snack cake to have at a summer celebration.
Ingredients
- ½ orange zest
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup olive oil (from Liokareas, a Pittsburgh-based family)
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup (100 g) grated zucchini (Friends that grow zucchinis will be happy to give you a few!)
- 1 cup (100 g) grated carrot (from Dillner Family Farms, Harvest Valley Farms, Bloomfield Farmers Market, Trax Farms Market, Triple B farms, Soergel Orchards, Shenot Farm & Market)
- ½ cup (50 g) chopped pecans (optional)
- 1¼ cup(160 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 oz powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position rack to center of oven. Butter or non-stick spray 9” round pan (8”x8” square pan also works). Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Add sugar, eggs and orange zest to a large bowl and whisk until pale and slightly foamy. Add olive oil, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until the mixture is emulsified.
- In a small bowl, add flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir to combine and set aside.
- Grate carrots and zucchini. For zucchini, place a clean kitchen towel under the grater. Wrap zucchini in the towel and squeeze out as much water as possible.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir in the grated carrots, zucchini and pecans (if using) into egg mixture.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth batter with spatula gently to edges. Gently tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake the cake until golden in color, approximately 40-50 minutes. Tester in the center of the cake will come out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- Make the frosting. In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese until completely smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar, followed by orange zest and vanilla. Cream until smooth. Once the cake is completely cool, frost the top of the cake.
Tips
A 9” spring form pan is my favorite pan for this cake.
Recipe by Lauren Bohl White, Local Provisions
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce
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