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The best and (easiest) Chocolate Zucchini Banana Cake with Vanilla Coffee Frosting. No fuss, super quick to mix up, and SO DELICIOUS! Yes, that pretty much sums up this zucchini banana cake. It’s the perfect simple cake to bake up this weekend and use up all that summer zucchini! With over-ripe bananas, zucchini, salted butter, and a good amount of creamy vanilla coffee frosting this is sure to become a favorite. Perfect as an afternoon snack or a late-night dessert.
I’ve been holding onto this recipe for of couple weeks now, waiting for just the right time share. And today is the day! I wanted to wait until late August, when all of the garden fresh zucchini was at its peak harvest.
If you’re growing zucchini in the garden this year, my hope is that you have plenty on hand to bake up in this cake. And if you’re not a gardener, the grocery store should still be able to meet your needs.
Either way, you guys have to bake this cake this weekend. It’s one of my favorites of the summer.
The inspiration
First up, some of you may remember my banana cake from a few years back. It’s a reoccurring staple in my kitchen. And a recipe that’s so simple and easy to make, we just love it!
Secondly, summer zucchini. I love my recipes for zucchini bread that I’ve shared, but I’ve never tried making a zucchini banana bread. Once I had that idea it quickly shifted into more of a zucchini banana cake, since I really, really wanted to add a frosting.
And finally, the frosting. It was really my reason behind wanting to bake a cake. It’s a frosting recipe I developed for another recipe back in the fall of last year. And it’s one that I LOVE so much. Anything vanilla coffee is always a favorite.
I put the cake and the frosting together and something magical and delicious happened. This cake is so good!
Here’s how I make my zucchini banana cake
The first step is the zucchini. Here’s the thing, when baking with zucchini it’s really important to remove any excess moisture (so the water). You want to do this so your baked goods don’t end up super dense and watered down. Simply shred the zucchini, then ring the zucchini to squeeze out all the excess water. It’s really easy, the drier you can get the zucchini, the lighter your cake will be.
The rest of this recipe is VERY easy. The cake itself is made in just one bowl!
Find yourself some very ripe bananas, I’m talking practically black bananas everyone. Very, very brown bananas are KEY. They keep this cake, flavorful, sweet, and incredibly moist.
Mash up the bananas and then mix with a little coconut oil, honey, a couple of eggs, and a splash of vanilla. Next, add the flour, a pinch of cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Stir in some shredded zucchini and then fold in lots of chocolate chunks. The chocolate isn’t needed, but it certainly takes the cake to a whole new level.
Bake and 30 minutes later your house is going to smell incredible. Nothing smells better than a sweet banana based dessert baking away.
Now, on to that creamy vanilla coffee frosting
This is the real secret to this cake. It takes the recipe from average to really darn good.
I wanted the frosting to be light and whipped with just the right amounts of vanilla and coffee flavored throughout. I used a bit of cream cheese to keep it light and creamy. Then added instant espresso powder and real vanilla for flavor.
It’s not your everyday frosting, but I promise it’s delicious.
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool, then frost and enjoy! Every last bite leaves you wanting another.
The perfect cake to bake up now, but also enjoy into fall. That frosting reminds me of a warming spice latte. It’s already getting me excited for what’s to come!
Looking for other sweet zucchini recipes? Here are a few ideas:Â
Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Zucchini Bread
Sneaky Zucchini Chocolate Chunk Coconut Bread
Zucchini Peach Streusel Muffins
Lastly, if you make this Chocolate Zucchini Banana Cake with Vanilla Coffee Frosting, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Zucchini Banana Cake with Coffee Frosting
Servings: 10
Calories Per Serving: 660 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 small zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 cups grated, before squeezing out water)
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup mashed)
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.2. Place the shredded zucchini in a clean towel, then squeeze out any excess water. 3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, mix until just combined. Stir in the zucchini. Fold in the chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the center is just set. Remove and let cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.4. To make the frosting, dissolve the instant coffee in 1 tablespoon hot water. In a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes more. 5. Spread the frosting over cake. Slice, snack, and enjoy!
Delicious cake and icing! Turned out beautifully and loved by all who tried it. Made the cake in a 9×9 pan and found I still had lots of icing left over despite putting a generous layer on top.
Hey Jennifer,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This is so good, and I was so excited to try it! It’s like a pumped up and fancier version of zucchini/banana bread from when I was a kid…but it’s all grown up! Easy to make and satisfies the sweet tooth perfectly. Love the frosting, too. Thank you!
Hey Jackie,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
OH Wow. This is a winner! Quick, easy, delicious. I thought I would miss the sugar/brown sugar, but the honey is perfect. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Cindy,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious!! The frosting makes the cake. Would I be able to make this as a bread without changing the recipe and put it in a bread pan instead?
Hey Becky,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! Sure, that will also work! xTieghan
This was stunningly delicious warm! No frosting, just purely joy! A cross between cake and bread. On my ” regular rotation” list as are many of your recipes!
Hey Beth,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made this without the frosting, and it was still DIVINE! Brought it in for my coworkers, and they raved about it for days. Will be making this again WITH frosting – may try a vegan version wherever possible with flax eggs. Overall though, it’s going in my rotation. So simple, but tastes like a million bucks!
Hey Stacie,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I am wondering if you have substituted Cup 4 Cup flour in this recipe? Would like to make gluten free.
Hey Tammy,
That should work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious, thank you for the recipe. I made the cake yesterday and the house smelled amazing. We had a slice last night and the taste is really good. However I considered to maybe add chopped walnuts to the batter the next time, since my batter turned out very moist and fluffy and I like a little bit of extra crunch. This cake is a perfect combination of babana bread and zucchini cake. Thank you 🙂
Hey Julia,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Very delicious without icing, has the Perfect texture with gooey chocolate!
Hey Charlotte,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Can I make these as cupcakes?
Hey there,
Sure, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
My sister brought me and my daughter three pieces of this cake. We loved it Soo much I grabbed zucchini at the store today to remake it (3 pieces is not enough!). I read the ingredients and realized it uses coconut oil, I don’t actually have any coconut oil! I am not with the times I guess…anyway. Can I sub vegetable oil or butter? I like butter alllllooootttt.
Hey Ellie,
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, sure vegetable oil or butter will also work well here. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi- this looks delicious and I’d love to make it for my mom, who is vegan. Can I sub flax eggs for the real eggs? I don’t have much experience with that. Thanks!
Hey Felicia,
I’ve never tried that for this recipe, but you could certainly give it a go! Please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
I did it…it worked perfectly! Mix 2 tablespoons flax meal and 5 tablespoons water..sit for 5 minutes, then add…in case anyone else wants to know…
Thanks…Mom is gonna love this!
Hey Felicia,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
This was amazing! Loved the coffee flavored icing with the banana. However, I did not read carefully enough, and I made the mistake of baking this in a loaf pan and so the middle did not firm enough ?. I frosted the outside portions that I could salvage. I loved it so much, I am making it again and will put it in the correct sized pan!! Thank you for this unique take on banana bread!
Hey Susan,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
OMG. Soo delicious.
Hey Amanda,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
This time of year I’m always looking for another way to use up bumper crops of zucchini, and this fit the bill. Made it yesterday, used only 1/2 the coffee in the icing as my husband is not a coffee lover, and he loved it! Another winner!
Hey Elna,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best day:) xTieghan