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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 banana zucchini 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 large 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 dry ingredients: 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 cream cheese 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:
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on August 27, 2021
We didn’t make the frosting to go with it but the cake itself is absolutely delicious! Definitely going to make it again.
Hey Laura,
Happy Friday! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks a lot for making it. xTieghan
I made this tonight. Delicious!! The icing is very light and fluffy.
Hey Renee,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I am allergic to honey, what do you recommend as a replacement? Maple syrup?
Hey there,
Yes, maple syrup would work well for you here. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Really delicious, and the frosting in particular is insanely good.
One thing — my frosting almost … separated? (It reminded me of how hollandaise sauce can “break” sometimes.) This happened after I added the coffee & vanilla. It stayed thick enough to spread but the texture is a definitely off. Any idea what could have happened?
Hey Rebecca,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. I’m glad it was enjoyed! Was there anything you adjusted in the frosting? It’s really hard for me to say without seeing what it looked like. xTieghan
I tagged you on IG ;-). If you can, take a look (always seeking to improve my skills!). I did not alter anything on the frosting recipe.
Hey Rebecca,
Sorry, it’s really hard for me to connect messages and go back and forth between here and IG. I have over 3 million people sending messages. If I can help in anyway, please let me know! xTieghan
Hi! Can’t wait to make these ❤️ Any suggestions for cupcakes (cooking time/temp) and using whole wheat flour? Thanks!
Leah
Hey Leah,
I would reduce your baking time to 25 minutes and whole wheat flour should be fine to use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was AMAZING!!!! The best zucchini recipe ever! Love how all my favorite flavors are combined into this delicious dessert ?
Hey Mary Beth,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
I made this on Sunday and it was delicious!! My husband loved it, we are rationing a little piece of it every night! I could bathe in the frosting 🙂
Hey Jeri,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
I live in the UK so was converting to metric. But one mistake I made was to use baking powder (more usual here)instead of baking soda, which is different (stronger). The upshot was that the cake was more dense than it should have been. I was also taking it to a friend and it got tipped around in the car and basically looked like roadkill when I came to serve it! However it was sooooooo delicious despite all that and I will definitely make it again to perfect it. I have a weekly veg box delivered and have a glut of courgettes right now so a great choice. Thank you.
Hey Jo,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
This this on the spur of the moment after dinner as noticed it in my Facebook feed. I didn’t have icing or frosting ingredients so I did just the cake and it was fabulous! I don’t think it needs frosting at all. It seemed sweet to me but I’m a bitter kind of person. My hubby loved it. First time I ever baked something without planning or being prepared and I did it!
Hey there,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
Hi! Can you substitute an espresso shot for the instant coffee in the frosting? Thanks!
Hey April,
Sure, that should work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I was very excited to make this.. Followed most of the recipe as suggested, besides using some melted butter besides coconut, bc I didn’t had enough.. but for some reason it turned out hard and not soft at all.. maybe it was too much flour? Maybe I’ll give it another try soon and use less flour next time..
Hey Lily,
Sorry to hear this. Were all of your ingredients fresh? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
How best to shred the zucchini, Tieghan?
Hey David,
A cheese grater works totally fine to shred the zucchini. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
A total hit! Even the picky eaters in my family gave it a try and loved it. Thanks for the excellent and quick recipe!
Hey Emma,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan
This recipe has wonderful original flavor! Your tastebuds sing with the frosting and choc- the zucchini has the moisture-enhancer role here! Yum!
Hey Pat,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
So tasty and rich! I divided a batch between a bread loaf pan and a cake pan and that worked perfectly. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hey Amy,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
I made this today, some changes – subbed butter for the coconut oil (for availability) and made a chocolate cream cheese frosting to leave out the coffee/caffeine – was really easy and rave reviews! Will definitely make again.
Hey Jen,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a go! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
I made a gf version, it was awesome. The frosting was amazing.
Please so share those details. Would love a gluten free version as well.
Hey there,
You can simply swap the flour with GF flour for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hey Barb,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxTieghan