This is the most amazing cake. There is no need to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini and as a benefit to this it keeps the cake so moist for days and days. I love the thought of having hidden vegetables in cakes, as then I don’t feel guilty for indulging! This cake also is sensational even without the cream cheese frosting. This recipe is based on my very popular zucchini cake recipe.
Note: If you are milling raw sugar to icing sugar Click Here for tips.
This cake has been enjoyed by many on ThermoFun Cook Alongs.
Ingredients
- 75g pistachios (shelled)
- 250g raw sugar
- 3 eggs
- 150g vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp ThermoFun Vanilla Bean Paste
- 250g zucchini washed, unpeeled, quartered
- 250g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp bi-carb soda
- 1½ tsp cardamom, ground
- 1½ tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 100g butter, cubed, softened
- 90g cream cheese (room temp.)
- 300g icing sugar
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 23x33cm tin.
NB: This makes a large cake! - Place pistachios into TM bowl and chop 2 sec / speed 6. Set aside.
- Place sugar into TM bowl and mill 3 sec / speed 9.
- Add eggs, oil, vanilla and zucchini and mix 10 sec / speed 6.
- Add flour, baking powder, bi-carb soda, cardamom, mixed spice, salt and chopped pistachios and mix 10 sec / speed 6.
- Bake 40 mins. Allow cake to cool completely before icing.
- Place butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, lime zest and lime juice into TM bowl and mix 10 sec / speed 5. Scrape down and repeat.
Notes
GLUTEN FREE AND EGG FREE VERSION:
This can be made with gluten free flour and replace eggs with one medium size banana!
A few comments in the ThermoFun Cook Along facebook recipe chatter were:
Deb
So good. I used a round silicone pan without any probs. Toddler loved it too!
Kelli
No cardamom so used ground ginger and mixed spice… delish!
Anna
Delicious! So moist and fluffy. I used whole meal flour and lemon instead of lime.
Lisa
Could you make this cake into a carrot cake by swapping the zucchini for carrot and leaving out the pistachios? I love the texture of this cake and am yet to find a carrot cake recipe that is this moist and yummy.
Leonie
Yes most definitely Lisa! Carrot works!
Sharon
Hi guys I always have the wrong size pan I have one that’s 16.5 x 26 cm or 18 x 18cm or a slice tray that’s way too big 38 x 25 cms so any ideas?
Lisa
Small one plus some cupcakes? It does rise well be careful not to overfill the cake tin!!
Tania
This makes a large cake. I bake it in a large rectangular sized glass Pyrex dish. This gives you a 5cm in height cake and ensures it cooks evenly. Macadamia oil is my choice to use. I’m a ‘spice girl’ so I increase the spices by 50%… delicious! Great cake to bring to a gathering due to its generous size.
Marion
One huge cake. I made it gluten free with Aldi gluten free plain flour. It looks great. It was given a 10/10 rating by all. Much enjoyed. I will make this again.
Belinda
Mine needed an extra 20 minutes in the oven coz it failed the knife test 🙂 Smells lovely, taste test this arvo! Icing is awesome!
Click Here for more great recipes in a number of e-cookbooks – containing recipes to suit everyone.
If you have enjoyed this recipe then please consider leaving a comment. It’s always refreshing to see comments from people that have tried a recipe and found it a success or tweaked it to suit.
I made this cake last week for my brothers birthday and everyone loved it, i used gluten free flour and lemon in the icing and i used 1 tbsp of bicarb as i had made a similar cake the week before and all you could taste was the bicarb BUT this recipes is the BEST, Its a WINNER in my family and will be made on a regular basis! Thank you! Cecilia
Thank you Cecilia. One of my favourites too! 🙂
This cake is delicious!!! My daughter is allergic to dairy and I made the cake dairy free by using ” Tofutti-better than cream cheese” and ” nuttelex” in the icing. I served it at a family gathering and no one could tell!!! Thanks for the recipe ?
Thanks Lisa – great to know how you made it dairy free too! 🙂
Made it gluten free and was a big hit with everyone. Love the lime icing & how light but still moist the cake is.
Thanks Jo – awesome that it is great gluten free. 🙂
I really love this cake. Tasty and also nice and light.
Thanks for sharing Jo 😀
Can I make this sugar free? Dont like using stevia or a substitute? Ideas?
Could I make this using Coconut flour, and a sugar free alternative such as Stevia?
Sharyn yes I’m sure that would work well.
Can you make The cake without pistachios or swap for a different nut?
Larissa, I haven’t tried with a different nut but I’m absolutely sure any nut of your preference would be great in it! Enjoy! 🙂