Yield: 8–10 servings
Pan: 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan
Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 35–42 minutes
Total: about 1 hour, plus cooling
Ingredients
Cake
1½ cups / 180 g finely grated zucchini, lightly squeezed
2 cups / 200 g finely ground blanched almond flour
3 large eggs, preferably room temperature
¾ cup / 150 g granulated sugar
⅓ cup / 80 ml neutral oil or mild olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
These proportions produce a tender almond-flour cake rather than a conventional wheat-flour cake.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Lemon glaze
¾–1 cup / 90–120 g powdered sugar
1½–2½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
Garnish
Very thin zucchini strips
Fine lemon zest
Optional sliced almonds
Optional pistachios
Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Prepare the pan
Heat oven to:
350°F / 175°C
Grease an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan.
Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Grease the parchment lightly as well.
An 8-inch pan gives you a taller cake; a 9-inch pan gives a slightly thinner cake and generally requires less baking time.
2. Prepare the zucchini — the most important step
Wash and dry the zucchini.
Finely grate it.
Put the grated zucchini into a clean kitchen towel.
Gather the towel and squeeze firmly over the sink.
You want the zucchini to be:
moist but not dripping.
Don’t squeeze it completely bone-dry.
Too much retained water can produce a heavy or gummy center, while some moisture is desirable for the tender crumb.
M
My Home Made Recipe
+1
Measure 180 g after squeezing.
If using a very large zucchini
Cut it lengthwise and remove the soft, watery seed center before grating.
Small or medium zucchini generally work best.
3. Make lemon sugar
Put the sugar and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl.
Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingertips for about 30–60 seconds.
This releases the fragrant lemon oils.
You’ll notice the sugar becomes slightly moist and strongly lemon-scented.
This little step gives the finished cake a much stronger lemon aroma.
4. Whisk the eggs
Add the eggs to the lemon sugar.
Whisk for approximately 1 minute.
You don’t need to whip them to a huge volume.
Add:
oil
lemon juice
vanilla
Whisk until smooth.
5. Combine the dry ingredients
In another bowl whisk together:
almond flour
baking powder
salt
Break up any almond-flour lumps.
Important
Use fine blanched almond flour if possible.
Almond meal can be used, but it produces a more rustic, slightly heavier crumb.
S
sipthesoup.com
6. Make the batter
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
Fold gently with a spatula.
When most of the dry ingredients have disappeared, add the squeezed zucchini.
Fold until evenly distributed.
Do not overmix.
The finished batter will be fairly thick.
7. Fill the pan
Transfer the batter to your prepared pan.
Spread it evenly.
Tap the pan gently on the counter once or twice to eliminate large air pockets.
8. Bake
Place in the center of the preheated oven.
9-inch pan
Bake approximately:
35–40 minutes
8-inch pan
Bake approximately:
40–45 minutes
Start checking early because ovens and zucchini moisture vary.
The cake is ready when:
the top is lightly golden
the edges are set
the center springs back gently
a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter
Don’t wait for the tester to be completely bone-dry; almond-flour cakes are supposed to remain moist.
A comparable flourless version uses approximately 35–42 minutes at 350°F.
M
My Home Made Recipe
9. Cool properly
Leave the cake in the pan for:
15 minutes
Run a thin knife around the edge.
Carefully remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.
Allow it to cool completely before glazing.
This is especially important because the crumb continues to firm as it cools. Glazing a hot cake can cause the icing to melt into the surface.
M
My Home Made Recipe
For the cleanest slices, you can refrigerate it for about 30–60 minutes before cutting.
10. Make the lemon glaze
Put powdered sugar into a bowl.
Add:
1½ tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Whisk.
If too thick, add lemon juice ½ teaspoon at a time.
If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
You want a glaze that slowly runs from a spoon but isn’t watery.
11. Glaze the cake
Place the completely cooled cake on a serving plate.
Spoon the glaze over the top.
Allow some of it to naturally drip down the sides.
Let it sit for about 15 minutes so the glaze can set.
12. Make the garnish like the photograph
For the zucchini garnish:
Use a vegetable peeler or julienne tool.
Cut a few very thin strips of zucchini.
Toss them with a little lemon zest.
Place the zucchini strips loosely over the glaze.
Add a little additional finely grated lemon zest.
For an even prettier finish
Use a mixture of:
pale-green zucchini ribbons
bright yellow lemon zest
a few sliced almonds
tiny pistachio pieces
Don’t add too much garnish—the cake in the photo is best when the lemon-white glaze remains visible.
Complete Nut Information
This recipe is not nut-free because almond flour is the primary flour substitute.
Almond flour
Almond flour provides:
structure
fat
moisture
a tender crumb
mild nutty flavor
Because it contains no gluten, the eggs are particularly important for holding the cake together.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Optional nuts
You can add ¼ cup / 25–30 g sliced almonds to the batter if you want additional crunch.
Or sprinkle:
2 tbsp sliced almonds
over the glaze.
Pistachios
For a more elegant lemon-pistachio version, add:
25–30 g finely chopped pistachios
to the batter or use them as garnish.
They pair exceptionally well with lemon.
Hazelnuts
You can substitute a portion of the almond flour with finely ground hazelnut flour, but the flavor will be stronger and the cake darker. A straight 1:1 substitution isn’t guaranteed to behave identically.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Nut Allergy Information
Contains:
Almonds/tree nuts
Eggs
If using butter instead of oil, it would also contain dairy.
If the cake is being served to someone with a serious tree-nut allergy, do not simply replace almond flour with regular flour at the same quantity. Flourless cakes depend on the particular absorption and fat content of almond flour.
A nut-free version needs a separately formulated flour combination, such as a tested sunflower-seed-flour or oat-flour formulation.
S
sipthesoup.com
Substitutions
Can I use almond meal?
Yes.
Expect:
slightly coarser crumb
more pronounced almond texture
somewhat heavier cake
Fine almond flour gives the smoothest result.
S
sipthesoup.com
Can I use coconut flour?
Not as a 1:1 substitute.
Coconut flour absorbs considerably more liquid and can make this cake dry and dense.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Can I use olive oil?
Yes.
Use a mild olive oil.
Extra-virgin olive oil with a very strong peppery flavor can overpower the lemon.
Can I use melted butter?
Yes.
Use 80 g melted unsalted butter in place of the oil.
The flavor will be richer and more buttery.
Can I use honey?
Yes, but don’t replace the sugar gram-for-gram without adjusting the other liquids.
Honey contributes both sweetness and liquid, so the batter balance changes.
How to Make It More Lemon-Flavored
For an intensely lemony cake:
Use the zest of 2 lemons
Keep the lemon juice at about 2 tbsp
Add ½ tsp lemon extract if desired
Make a slightly thinner lemon glaze
Don’t simply add lots of lemon juice to the batter because additional liquid can make the flourless cake too wet.
Zest is the best way to increase lemon aroma without dramatically changing batter hydration.
Does It Taste Like Zucchini?
No, not strongly.
The zucchini mainly contributes moisture and tenderness.
The dominant flavors are:
lemon + almond + vanilla + sweet glaze.
That’s one of the advantages of zucchini in cakes: it can provide moisture without making the finished dessert taste like vegetables.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Troubleshooting Q&A
Why is my cake gummy?
Usually too much zucchini water.
Next time squeeze the zucchini more thoroughly.
Also make sure the center is fully baked before removing the cake from the oven.
M
My Home Made Recipe
+1
Why did the center sink?
Possible causes include:
underbaking
excessive zucchini moisture
opening the oven too early
slicing while hot
Bake until the center is properly set, then cool completely.
Why is it crumbly?
Possible causes:
overbaking
insufficient zucchini moisture
coarse almond meal
cutting while warm
Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.
Why isn’t my cake fluffy?
This is naturally a moist, tender almond cake, rather than a light wheat-flour sponge.
If you want a lighter texture, whisk the eggs and sugar for a little longer before adding the remaining ingredients—but don’t expect conventional flour-cake texture.
Can I make it dairy-free?
Yes.
Use neutral oil or coconut oil rather than butter.
Is it gluten-free?
Yes, provided all packaged ingredients are certified gluten-free when necessary, particularly baking powder and powdered sugar. Flourless versions use almond flour instead of wheat flour.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Is it keto?
The standard recipe isn’t keto because it contains conventional sugar.
You can develop a lower-carbohydrate version using a suitable granulated sweetener and powdered sweetener for the glaze, but the result may differ in texture and browning.
Can I make cupcakes?
Yes.
Fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full.
Bake at 350°F / 175°C for roughly 18–25 minutes, checking with a toothpick.
Can I make this in a loaf pan?
Yes, but the cake will be deeper.
A deeper cake requires longer baking and makes moisture control more important. For the appearance in your photograph, I recommend a round shallow cake pan.
Can I make it ahead?
Absolutely.
Bake it the day before.
Cool completely and refrigerate covered.
Glaze it a few hours before serving for the cleanest presentation.
M
My Home Made Recipe
Can I freeze it?
Yes.
For best results, freeze the unglazed cake tightly wrapped.
Thaw at room temperature, then add fresh lemon glaze.
Storage
Room temperature
Keep well covered for approximately 1–2 days.
Refrigerator
Keep covered for approximately 3–4 days.
The chilled cake becomes firmer but remains moist.
Freezer
Freeze the unglazed cake for up to approximately 2–3 months for best quality.
Thaw completely before glazing.
Serving Ideas
This cake is excellent with:
fresh raspberries
blueberries
strawberries
Greek yogurt
whipped cream
vanilla ice cream
lemon curd
mascarpone
toasted almonds
pistachios
For the closest presentation to your image, serve a thick slice with lemon glaze, fine lemon zest, and thin zucchini ribbons.
My best version for the pictured cake
For the moistest, prettiest version, I recommend:
200 g fine blanched almond flour + 180 g squeezed zucchini + 3 eggs + 150 g sugar + 80 ml mild olive/neutral oil + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp lemon zest + vanilla + baking powder.
Then finish it with a thick lemon glaze, lemon zest and delicate zucchini ribbons.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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