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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!
Make this. You won’t regret it. It’s so amazing ? the cake alone is not very sweet so the frosting absolutely takes it over the top and its not sickeningly sweet. I used white whole wheat flour and it worked great!
Hey Erica,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for making it! xTieghan
Excellent recipe! My frosting was fluffy but not as firm as a normal buttercream, is that normal or did I do something wrong? Sure tastes good though!
Hey Susan,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I truly appreciate you giving it a try!! Was there anything you adjusted in the frosting? Did it need to be whipped a little longer? ? xTieghan
I used gluten free flour. The 30-40 min was not nearly long enough. The center was gooey and the top was already browned and the edges were definitely done. Not sure what to do different next time. I lowered temp to 325 hoping the done cake didn’t dry out to hopefully finish center of cake. It tasted good at end. Thoughts ?
I made this cake for a brunch and it was a real hit. The icing was the best. Everyone was asking where I got the recipe. Thanks for this winner.
PS. I read were someone made it in a spring form pan to put it on a pretty cake stand. I decided to do that. Great idea!
Hi Mary,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
I just made the cake and it look amazing.
My cake is for tomorrow is thé frosting gonna stay fluffy? CAN I leave it out or it have to be in the fridge?
Hope its gonna be as good as you banana bread with phili chocolate frosting! Im a fan!
Thanks
Hey Marie,
If you can, I would just save the frosting to make when you are ready to serve the cake. I hope the recipe is delicious, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This recipe was incredible. The coffee icing really makes it. I made this for fun and the bf liked it so much he requested it again for his birthday next week 🙂 thank you for such a great recipe!
Hey Jojo,
Awesome! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing, I have a bunch of extra zucchini laying around. Just wondering if I could incorporate pumpkin pie spice somehow into the recipe. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Hi Nicole,
What if you used the pumpkin spice in place of the coffee in the frosting? I think that would work well for you! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
this was super good!!! The cake and that frosting!!! YUM!!!!
Hey Christine,
Awesome! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! xTieghan
I made this for my mom’s bday and everyone loved it so much! Incredible and i will be making it again along with the other zucchini recipes 🙂
Hey Katey,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Surprisingly amazing! Almost doubled the zucchini. Left in oven to cool completely so it wouldn’t be too wet and that worked extremely well. Thought the coffee vanilla frosting would be odd, was absolutely fab. Very unique and delicious will definitely make again!
Hey Audra,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Easy to make and so good!
Hey Vanessa,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Wow! I just pulled this cake out of the oven and had a piece warm and it was amazing!!! Fluffy and light while still being moist, SO flavorful! I didn’t even make the icing and it was still some of the best banana baked goods I’ve ever had. Highly highly recommend. Also works in high altitudes!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
So delicious and perfectly simple. I appreciate your recipes, readily available ingredients, easy to follow resulting in sophisticated and complex taste!
Hey Terry,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
If you substitute butter for the coconut oil should you melt it or just room temp.
Or just do vegetable oil? thanks
Hey Mary,
I would use melted butter. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
So rich, easy, and visually beautiful!
I had to use a round pan due to what I had on hand. Worked just fine.
This frosting is so unbelievably good I will be using it for other cakes I make as well.
Hey Brittney,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Question: can you use normal espresso grounds instead of instant espresso?
Hey Lyla,
The recipe calls for instant coffee powder, you could try espresso grounds, I just don’t want it to be too bitter. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Oh my gosh! The frosting for this cake is seriously dynamite! I cannot overemphasize this. And it works really well with the cake because the cake isnt very sweet. I made the cake in two loaf pans so I could give one away and it worked fine, bake for about 35 minutes .
Hey Mary,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xTieghan
Rave reviews from all my guests about this pretty little flavor packed cake! I used butter in place of coconut oil and used a springform pan, just so the cake would look cute on my pretty cake stand! The coffee frosting was divine, my fingers were swooping the bowl and I’m not a big coffee flavored lover. Thank you!
Hey Teresa,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xTieghan