Ridiculously Easy Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake with Butterscotch Buttercream

With a tender, moist crumb and a silky smooth butterscotch buttercream, this Easy Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake will win a deliciousness award! And the fact that it has a generous portion of shredded fresh zucchini makes it slightly legal (or so we like to think!)!

If you enjoy moist, light cakes with a tender crumb, you will love this Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake. And if you're frequently in a hurry but like to serve something extraordinarily delicious for dessert or a sweet treat, this fabulous cake has your name written all over it!

A busy day cake!

Recently I needed a dessert that would serve a crowd but it was already a super busy day. Since my time was short and I didn't want to clean up a mess or wash lots of dishes, I took a peek at our collection of 0ne-bowl, no-mixer cake recipes. I love these super easy cakes that come together quickly, can feed lots of hungry mouths and require minimal kitchen equipment.

I debated between several of them but then remembered the two lonely zucchinis languishing in my produce bin and decided to come up with a new sheet pan recipe. The rest of the story is this wonderful Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake with Butterscotch Buttercream. It was a hit from the first little taste and has elicited lots of rave reviews!

Ridiculously Easy

This recipe definitely falls into our Ridiculously Easy category. These are some of the most beloved Café reader recipes for several reasons. First of all, they take minimal time and require minimal cleanup and secondly, the always delicious results of these easy recipes make you look like a kitchen magician!

You can read all about this ever-evolving Ridiculously Easy category in this post and check out the whole collection here.

A match made in heaven

The crumb of this cake is tender and light with an explosion of warm spices, mostly cinnamon with a pinch of cloves and nutmeg.

It pairs beautifully with the creamy butterscotch buttercream with a combination of butter, brown sugar, cream, a generous splash of vanilla extract and powdered sugar to hold it all together. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt is the crowning glory. I call it a "match made in heaven"!

So call the family together or your favorite group of friends and whip up this Easy Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake. You'll look like a kitchen rock star and elicit lots of happy faces. No one but you and I need to know how quickly it comes together!

Cafe Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake

• You'll need one medium-large zucchin for this recipe or two smaller ones.
• I use a regular box grater to grate the zucchini for this recipe.
• Although you can use any type of stirring implement for this Caramel Buttermilk Sheet Cake, a whisk works really well. If you don't have a whisk in your cooking collection, it's a really handy kitchen tool to add. A good whisk is not expensive and can be used for quickly stirring lots of things and gets the lumps out with minimal effort.
• The butterscotch buttercream recipe calls for dark brown sugar. In a pinch, you could use light brown sugar but the icing won't have that beautiful deep caramel color. Dark brown sugar also gives a nice depth of flavor.
• Dark brown sugar can vary vastly in hue. I look for the darkest brown sugar available. In my area of the country, Laura Lynn (a store brand) and Dixie Crystal are great dark brown sugars. I've found Dominio to be about the same color as most light brown sugars.
• The buttercream also calls for half and half. If you live outside of the US or Canada, you might not be familiar with half and half. It's simply a mixture of half milk and half cream, a convenience product that we often serve with coffee. In a pinch, you could also use milk.
• I use salted butter to make this cake. If you only have unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt.
• What size pan should you use to make this Butterscotch Sheet Cake? There are actually two answers to this question.
  • You can use a regular half sheet pan which is 18x13 inches and will yield a thinner cake and icing.
  • You can also use a jelly roll pan which is a little smaller, measuring 15x10 inches, yields a thicker cake with a thicker icing. My preference? I really like making sheet cakes like this in the smaller, jelly roll pan for a thicker cake, but either will work.
• Don't need such a large cake? No problem, as this cake freezes beautifully; so when you need a dessert in a hurry, it will be just a thaw away!
• If you like a less sweet cake, you can halve the icing recipe and use a little extra half and half to make a thin glaze rather than a thick icing.

Thought for the day:

Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing. 
Isaiah 40:26

What we're listening to for inspiration:

How Great Thou Art

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Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake

Chris Scheuer

With a tender, moist crumb and a silky smooth butterscotch buttercream, this Easy Zucchini Sheet Pan Cake will win a deliciousness award! And the fact that it has a generous portion of shredded fresh zucchini makes it slightly legal (or so we like to think!)!

4.34 from 3 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 18 servings

Calories 353

PRINT PIN COMMENTS

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

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For the cake:

• ⅓ cup neutral flavored oil, I like avocado oil but sunflower, safflower, grape seed and canola will also work.
• ⅓ cup butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• flaky sea salt, I like Maldon

For the butterscotch buttercream:

• 4 ounces butter, I use salted butter
• ½ cup brown sugar, I use dark brown sugar but light brown will also work. The icing won't be as deeply colored.
• 6 tablespoons half & half, or cream, millk will do in a pinch
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

For the prep:

1. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Spray a jelly roll pan (10x15 inches) with nonstick baking spray. Rub with a small piece of paper toweling to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside. (You can also use a half sheet pan (13x18 inches) but the cake will not be as thick (tall).

For the cake:

1. Combine the oil and butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave on high power for 30-40 seconds or until the butter is melted.
2. In a medium-large bowl, combine the two sugars with the butter/oil mixture. Whisk to combine. The mixture will look a little sandy at this point.
3. Add the two eggs and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds. The mixture should look nice and smooth now.
4. Add the baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whisk again until incorporated then add the buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine.
5. Add the flour and stir just until incorporated.
6. Switch to a silicone spatula or wooden spoon now. Add the zucchini and stir until well distributed.
7. Pour the batter out onto the prepared pan and spread to an even layer.

To bake:

1. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the center of the cake feels firm when lightly touched. You can also use an instant thermometer to determine doneness. It should read 200-205˚F (93-96˚C). If you make this cake in a half-sheet pan, it will take a little less time to bake.
2. For the butterscotch buttercream:
3. While the cake is cooling, make the icing by melting the butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add the brown sugar and whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and bubbling. At first the butter and sugar will seem separate but will come together with whisking.
5. Add the half and half (or cream) and the vanilla extract. Whisk until nice and smooth.
6. Turn off the heat to very low leave the pot on the burner.
7. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, whisking until smooth between each cup. You should have a smooth but nicely spreadable consistency. I like to make it a little thinner than I think I want as it will thicked a bit, the minute you start spread it out onto the cake. If it’s still a little thick, add a bit more half-and-half (or cream).
8. Spread the icing over the warm cake. Use a small silicone spatula or the back of a spoon to make decorative swirls, if desired. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky sea salt, if desired. Wait for the cake to cool (if you can) then serve and enjoy!

To store:

1. This cake keeps well for several days covered with foil or plastic wrap. Just make sure the cake is completely cool before covering.
2. This cake also freezes well. I like to cut it into serving-size portions and wrap each one with plastic wrap. Then it’s easy to pull a few out when the sweet tooth strikes or a friend stops by for a cup of coffee.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 188mgPotassium: 169mgFiber: 1gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg

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