Zucchini Cake With Ginger and Hazelnuts

By Molly O’Neill

Updated July 19, 2016

  • Craig Lee for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour, plus cooling time
Rating
5(1,234)
Comments
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This extraordinary cake is a sophisticated riff on the ubiquitous zucchini bread. It's more delicate and tender than the classic loaf, fresh ginger and orange zest add a dash of vibrancy, and hazelnuts add crunch. It's also blissfully simple to make. Just two bowls, a wooden spoon and a tube (or bundt) pan and you're on your way.

Featured in: Food; How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 ¼ cups sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • ⅓ cup orange juice

  • 2 teaspoons orange zest

  • 2 teaspoons peeled, grated ginger root

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 ½ cups grated zucchini

  • ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

39 grams carbs; 31 milligrams cholesterol; 294 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 14 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 207 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 22 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, orange juice, zest, ginger and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour and stir until just combined. Fold in the zucchini and hazelnuts.

  2. Step 2

    Butter and flour a tube pan. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,234 user ratings
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Comments

Sara F

Holy god, this was good. I've made it a couple of times and I've found that it is still quite good with the sugar cut down to a heaped half cup. Any less and I found that it lost the cake-y consistency.

John D.

Delicious. As several have noted, cutting the sugar in half works well and I wouldn't have wanted it any sweeter. Definitely toast the hazelnuts first. and increase to a cup. A little more ginger would be nice too.

dimmerswitch

1) Used 9"x3" springform pan & baked per recipe. Buttered, parchment lined bottom & buttered it, flour dusted all. Baked per recipe for toasty brown top, moist, dense crumb. 2) Fresh ginger & orange juice /peel great flavor combo. Those plus nuts make pretty, rustic color against flecks of zucchini green. 3) Used pecans; had them on hand. 5) Used mild EVOO; educed oil from 1/2 C (8TB) to 6 TB. 6) Just sweet enough. Good anytime of day. 7) Stays moist day 2.

Lilian

I used 1 cup pastry flour and 1 cup spelt flour, a heaping 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 cup hazelnuts (toasted), 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger, 2 duck eggs, 6 tbsp. EVOO, one smallish zucchini (2 cups grated), and the juice (about 1/4 cup) and zest of one orange. The texture is lovely and flavor good, but (on day 1) it still seems rather sweet to my taste. Surprisingly, the orange flavor is assertive even with less juice. I think this batter would be great for an orange (or cranberry) upside-down cake.

debra in austin

I didn't love this. The texture is very nice and moist, but I was expecting more flavor. The flavor is mild and pleasant. But not bold. And I doubled the amount of ginger root. If I make it again, I will add even more and some powdered ginger. (I'd probably also reduce the sugar, as another commenter suggested.)

Alexis

Wow, really delicious! used a reg bundt pan - came out great (weights based on King Arthur: 240g flour, 240g sugar, 71g nuts, 200-225g zucchini)

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