Zucchini Orange Spice Cake

Zucchini Orange Spice Cake is a dairy free, soft, mildly sweet cake full of flavor. The hint of orange combined with the warm aroma of spices enriches the cake's taste, complemented by the orange-flavored cream cheese frosting. Savor this cake with fresh orange slices, nuts, and a side of vanilla ice cream.

By Rose Huxford

In the summer, our garden produces a lot of zucchini. I'm always searching for new ways to use zucchini beyond savory dishes. My Zucchini Orange Spice Cake is perfect for using either one large zucchini or a couple of smaller ones. Zucchini provides a wonderfully moist texture because it is mostly water. You won't even taste the zucchini, making it ideal for sneaking this nutritious vegetable past picky eaters. The orange flavor and spices from ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg enhance the overall taste, complemented by a delicious cream cheese frosting. If you need the cake to be completely gluten-free, you can substitute the all-purpose and spelt flours with gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as my family does.

By Rose Huxford

Note: This cake recipe yields either two round cakes or two 8x8 cakes. You can use both to create a layered cake with frosting in the middle and on top for a more festive look. Alternatively, you can freeze one cake for later (which is what I did) and enjoy the other immediately. To store the Zucchini Orange Spice Cake, let the cakes cool completely, then wrap them in plastic wrap, followed by foil, and place them in a freezer bag. The cakes can be stored in the freezer for about two months. When you're ready to use them, let the cakes thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter. Then, prepare the frosting and enjoy!

Zucchini Orange Spice Cake

Yields: 2 cakes

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees F or 375 degrees F (depending on your oven)

Prep-time: 10 minutes

Bake-time: 30-35 minutes

Cool down time: ~30 minutes

Total-time: ~75 minutes

Equipment: (2) round cake pans, or (2) 8x8 cake pans, (2) large mixing bowls, vegetable shredder, hand mixer, or stand mixer, or a whisk, spatula, liquid measuring cup, measuring cups, measuring spoons, citrus zester, sifter, cooling rack.

By Rose Huxford

Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup almond flour, sifted

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

• 2 cups spelt flour, sifted

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted

• 1/2 tsp baking soda, sifted

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp all spice

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• zest from 1 whole orange

• 1 cup chopped walnuts or chopped pecans

• 2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)

Wet Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded zucchini, not drained (I used the smaller holes)

• juice from 1/2 an orange

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup almond milk, or any milk you like

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil

• 1/2 cup real maple syrup

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp chia eggs (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6-8 ounces dairy free cream cheese, softened (I used Violife)

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 cup powder sugar

• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Almond milk to blend, or any milk you desire

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to either 350 degrees F or 375 degrees F (depending on your oven).

2. Begin by creating your buttermilk by mixing almond milk with apple cider vinegar. Stir the mixture and allow it to sit for approximately 5-10 minutes.

3. Line your pans with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick to avoid cakes sticking to the pan.

4. In a large mixing bowl, sift the almond flour, all-purpose flour, spelt flour, baking soda, and baking powder together (note: you can replace the all-purpose and spelt flour with gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio). Add the spices, orange zest, and chopped nuts. Use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients. Set aside.

5. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, orange juice, vanilla extract, eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar, olive oil, chia seeds, and buttermilk using a hand mixer, stand mixer, or whisk. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds to incorporate air bubbles.

6. Then, add your dry mixture to your wet mixture. Use the spatula to gently mix all the ingredients until they are just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

7. Gently pour half of the batter into one of the prepared pans and the remaining half into the other pan. Lightly tap each pan on the counter to even out the cake batter. Put them in the oven and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until the cake is a nice rich golden color and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Alternatively, you can use the spring-back method: if you press the top of the cake and it springs back, it's ready.

8. Let the cakes cool in the pans for approximately 30 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Alternatively, you can let the cakes cool entirely in the pans and frost them there.

9. To assemble the cakes, take both cakes and position them on a cake stand. Gently trim the top of one cake to ensure the upper layer rests evenly and flat. Set the top cake layer aside until the first cake is frosted.

10. Prepare the frosting for one cake or both. If you choose to layer the cakes, double the cream cheese frosting recipe to ensure there's enough for both the center and the top of the cake.

11. Enhance your cake's appearance by adding additional chopped nuts, orange zest, orange slices (if you have an extra orange), or sprinkles for a more celebratory look.

By Rose Huxford