Zucchini Lemon Loaf

The perfect end of summer loaf cake, this Zucchini Lemon Loaf is moist and bright with a little warmth and spice from the ginger and cinnamon.

Why is zucchini good in baking?

Zucchini is great for baking because it adds moisture without causing the cake to lose structure. It also doesn’t taste like much before baking and once added into cake batter, you can’t taste it at all.

Should you drain zucchini before baking?

Draining zucchini isn’t usually necessary. However, if you have a giant zucchini that maybe grew on the vine for a little too long it may have quite a bit of moisture inside. If that’s the case, I would strain out a bit of the liquid but it doesn’t need to be dramatic. If you are using standard medium sized zucchini, there is no need to drain them.

What sized loaf pan should I use?

I baked this cake in a 1 lb loaf pan because I don’t like a short loaf. That being said this cake would absolutely fit perfectly in a 1.25 lb loaf pan – if you bake the loaf in the larger pan, start checking to see if it’s ready after 45 minutes rather than waiting for the full hour.

Tips for making Zucchini Cake

• I recommend using this 1 lb metal loaf pan from USA pan for the zucchini cake. It will bake evenly without burning and you won’t have any issues with the cake sticking. That being said you can also bake it in a 1.25 lb loaf pan, just start checking for doneness after 45 minutes.
• Don’t be afraid to really bake this cake – there is a lot of moisture in the cake so you want to bake it until it has set and the crack that forms no longer looks wet.
• Make sure to preheat the oven before starting to mix the cake batter, it will come together quite quickly so you want the oven to be hot and ready.
• You don’t need a mixer for this cake, just make sure all of the ingredients are fully mixed and distributed in the cake batter.
• As mentioned above, if using standard sized zucchinis there is no need to drain them. However, if you are using extra large zucchinis you may want to strain off a bit of the moisture. Just be sure to weight it after straining.
• Even though the pan is non-stick I recommend lining the pan with a parchment paper sling because once you’ve added the lemon drizzle it will want to stick to the pan. The parchment paper will help lift it out.

Additional Cake Recipes to try!

• Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake
• Zucchini Coffee Cake
• Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

Zucchini Lemon Loaf Ingredients

• Lemons: The lemon zest adds a bit of brightness and lemon flavor to the cake. Be sure to wash the lemon before zesting it. The lemon juice is used for the lemon drizzle.
• Sugar: This cake uses regular white sugar for the actual cake to keep it light and fluffy as well as for the lemon drizzle.
• Olive Oil: I used olive oil for this cake but you could also use a different neutral oil.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is in the cake to add a bit of warmth.
• Ground Ginger: Ground ginger is added into the cake to add more zing and depth of flavor.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store.
• Salt: A little bit of fine sea salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla enhances the flavor of the cake.
• Zucchini: Be sure to weigh out the zucchini because sometimes 2 is enough for me, sometimes it’s too much, and sometimes not enough. No need to peel the zucchini just chop off the end.
• Flour: I used a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour to give the cake it’s structure but also to add a little flavor.
• Baking soda & powder: Both baking soda and baking powder play a role in how the cake rises and it’s texture so make sure neither is expired!

How to make a Zucchini Lemon Loaf?

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Cake

• In a large mixing bowl, add in the lemon zest and granulated sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar starts to clump from the oils.
• Add in the oil, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
• Crack in the eggs and whisk again.
• Grate in the zucchini and whisk once more.
• Pour in the all purpose flour along with the baking soda and baking powder right on top of the flour.
• Use the whisk to first whisk the baking soda and baking powder into the flours and then completely in with the wet ingredients.
• Place a parchment paper sling into the pan that goes from one long side, across the bottom and back up the other side.
• Pour the batter into the 1 lb loaf pan.

Bake the Cake

• Place the cake in the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes have passed, rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.
• Check to see if the cake is done by poking a toothpick into the center and check to make sure it comes out clean without any raw cake batter. You can also tell a bit by looking at the crack that forms to see if it still looks wet inside. For me it took about an hour and 8 minutes to fully bake.
• Once baked, take the pan out of the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
• While it cools make the lemon drizzle by stirring together lemon juice and sugar.
• After 10-15 minutes of letting the cake cool, loosen the edges of the cake from the pan with a knife. Poke the surface of the cake all over with a toothpick.
• Carefully and slowly drizzle the lemon sugar mixture over the cake. You can do this in a couple of passes because it will try to just run over the edges of the cake. Use the parchment paper to carefully lift the cake out of the pan slightly to let the drizzle run down the sides.
• Use up all of the drizzle and then leave the cake to cool for at least 45 minutes.
• Once cooled, use the parchment paper to lift the cake out and cut it into 9 slices.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container either at a cool room temperature or in the fridge!

This page may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click on one of the product links above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I will never place a link nor make a recommendation on a product or service that I don’t love or use personally. Read our privacy policy here. Thank you for supporting Red Currant Bakery.