Name: White Zucchini Cake with Caramel-Nut Broiled Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 egg whites; 1/4 cup oil; 1/4 cup butter (softened); 2/3 cup sugar; 2 cup flour (unbleached or all-purpose); 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2/3 cup milk; 2 cup peeled (grated zucchini, pressed in a colander); 2/3 cup packed brown sugar; 1/4 cup butter; 1 cup chopped nuts; 2 tablespoons milk

Jump to Recipe

A long-time family favorite, this recipe makes the most amazing zucchini cake with an incredibly moist texture. When frosted with a super easy & quick broiled, caramel-nut topping, it takes it to a whole other level. I'm not kidding when I say that every time we eat this, we ooh and aah over how good it is - still!

There's a fun story behind this truly amazing white zucchini cake with a caramelly-nutty - and super easy - broiled frosting:

It happened at my mother-in-law's house a couple years ago when we were celebrating Brian's birthday.

Now, my mother-in-law is a beautiful hostess and has taught me many things about hospitality (including using the "good" dishes all the time, serving whatever you have, and including all ages at the table with those good dishes, because entertaining is about the people and making them feel special), so it's always a treat to go to her house and sit around her table. And the food is always good - and plentiful.

But I have to admit that on this night when I saw that the birthday cake was a "plain" cake (i.e., not chocolate), I was a little disappointed. I watched her mix together a simple topping to create an old-fashioned broiled frosting that I had never seen before. I was intrigued and curious.

But...it wasn't chocolate.

We sang the birthday song, the candles were blown out and I asked for just a little piece, please (it's so easy to eat less dessert when you don't think you're going to like it, isn't it?).

I took a bite. Oh my...what was in this cake?

Another bite. Oh yes.

Moist perfection, caramelly topping, nuts...what on earth was this? When I actually said this out loud, Brian's mom said there was a "secret" ingredient. Mayonnaise? No. Since it was the time of year we were trying to use up garden produce, I guessed zucchini, to which she smiled and said yes.

It was hard to believe - we couldn't see it, couldn't feel it.

By this time the whole family was trying to find the zucchini in the cake. How could it be invisible? And then she shared the secret to the "secret" ingredient: the zucchini was peeled and some of the juice pressed out in a colander. But honestly, the texture wasn't anything I had experienced in my other baked zucchini recipes.

And we all had a second piece.

White Zucchini Cake

I wrote down the recipe before we left that night because I learned that there sometimes is more to life than chocolate.

Now I never let zucchini season go by without making this at least once (or more...). I've learned that it the cake layers freeze perfectly and stay moist - I've served it months (one time a year!) later with no one believing it had been frozen so long.

As if I needed another reason to like this cake.

Have I convinced you? Beg, borrow or buy zucchini and make this - you will thank me!

White Zucchini Cake with caramel-nut frosting

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 1 vote

White Zucchini Cake with Caramel-Nut Broiled Frosting

The most amazing zucchini cake with an incredibly moist texture that's frosted with a super easy & quick broiled, caramel-nut topping. It's so good, you'll want more than one piece!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Yield: servings

Author: Jami Boys

Ingredients

Cake:

3 egg whites
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup butter softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 cup flour unbleached or all-purpose
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 cup peeled grated zucchini, pressed in a colander

Frosting:*

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped nuts
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

For the cake: Grease and flour two 8" round pans. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat egg whites until stiff in a mixer bowl; set aside in a small bowl.
In the same mixer bowl, cream together oil and butter; add the sugar and beat until fluffy.
In a 4-cup measure or medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately with the milk to the creamed butter mixture. Beat until smooth.
Stir in the zucchini and then gently fold the reserved eggs whites into batter. Divide between prepared pans, spreading evenly with a spatula.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from pans to cool completely on a rack.
For the frosting: Mix brown sugar, butter, and nuts in a small bowl; stir in milk until smooth.
Just before serving, place the cake rounds on a cookie sheet and spread each with an even amount of the frosting mixture.
Broil about 5 inches from heat until frosting bubbles and browns, about 3 minutes. Watch carefully- the frosting burns easily.
Place one layer on a serving plate and top with the other layer.
Serve immediately - and be prepared to be amazed.

Notes

*This broiled frosting is just the basic one found in my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook. You can use any broiled frosting you like.

**Make Ahead: This cake freezes beautifully!! I've made it during zucchini season, frozen the plain rounds and eaten them a year later and they were still just as perfectly moist, tasting just the same after making a batch of the quick frosting.