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Banana Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.

Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.
Banana and Zucchini Cake

It’s zucchini season which makes me super excited to make bread and muffins with zucchini! A favorite is this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread which my daughter loves. But for dessert, I loved how moist and delicious this easy sheet cake turned out lightly sweetened with honey thanks to the natural sweetness of the pineapples and ripe bananas.

How To Make Banana Zucchini Cake

Helpful Tips:

  • I tested this with a blend of whole wheat and white flour as well as gluten-free with Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Mix and it turned out delicious both ways.
  • If you wish to keep it dairy free, simply omit the frosting, it will still be delicious!
  • Refrigerate leftovers

Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey. Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.

Zucchini Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

4.65 from 34 votes
8
Cals:172
Protein:3.5
Carbs:28
Fat:5.5
Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Fruity, moist and delicious, this banana and zucchini cake is loaded crushed pineapple and lightly sweetened with honey.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 16 servings
Serving Size: 1 slice

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, from 5 small
  • 8 ounce zucchini, grated and squeezed well
  • 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained well

For the Frosting:

  • 8 oz 1/3-less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • To prepare frosting, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9x2-inch nonstick metal pan with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; stir well with a whisk.
  • In a medium bowl, combine honey, oil, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Add zucchini, banana and pineapple; mix well.
  • Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula until combined.
  • Spoon batter into the sheet pan.
  • Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack.
  • Spread frosting over the cake once cooled and cut into 16 pieces.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 172 kcal, Carbohydrates: 28 g, Protein: 3.5 g, Fat: 5.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 27 mg, Sodium: 297.5 mg, Fiber: 1.5 g, Sugar: 18 g

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114 comments on “Banana Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting”

  1. I was looking for a and a cake recipe for some over ripe bananas that I had. When I looked at line at the various recipe websites I was appalled when their recipes contained 4 to 5 cups of sugar. I was delighted when I saw this recipe and immediately made it. This recipe is delicious I served it for company they all wanted the recipe. I did make a few changes. I added a half a cup of chopped walnuts and I used a third a cup of powdered sugar and I would highly recommend using clear vanilla or else she wore frosting is going to come out looking beige in color.  I saw on the reviews that some have replaced the honey with Monk sugar and the next time I make it I’m going to try that. I might add that I didn’t like the taste of a whole wheat flour, that’s just my personal preference, and next time I thought I would use  just all purpose flour. Thank you again Gina

  2. Since zucchini season is upon us and I had several over-ripe bananas on hand, I decided to try this recipe. Sooo delicious! The only change I made was substituting WheyLow brown sugar for the honey. (I use exclusively WheyLow in all my baking. Although expensive, it’s worth every penny.) Great recipe. Thanks Gina! 

  3. Avatar photo
    Cynthia Pastula

    Making these muffins all started by having 1 lonely zucchini I had to use up. Yes, I could’ve added it to a dinner but I’m glad I came across this recipe. I usually don’t veer off the original recipe the first time I make something., but I tweaked the recipe to accommodate what I had at home.\ and to lower my WW points.
    I used gluten free flour for the total amount of the 2 flours.
    I used 1/2 cup Lakanto classic for the honey.
    I added 1/2 cups chopped almonds.
    I made 16 muffins…no frosting.
    Thank you for a terrific recipe!

  4. This was delicious!  I made into muffins. I only used half the amount of honey – next time will probably eliminate it all together. Added a handful of mini chocolate chips. Flour blend I used was almond, Einkorn, and a gf blend. 
    Didn’t even make frosting ( although I did use it for a carrot cake I made and it was Perfect!)
    This will definitely be on repeat in our house 
    Another winner from SKINNYTASTE !!!

  5. Avatar photo
    Brenda Peterson

    I had hopes for this recipe but while it had good flavor, the cake turned out to be mush. I had to throw it away. 

  6. This cake is amazing! I replaced the pineapple with 4 oz applesauce. I left the oil in since I wasn’t sure I wanted to replace that as well. Did 1/3 cup of honey and no icing and it was moist and perfect and close to 100 cals a serving. Definitely recommend and love that you can adapt it! Used the same size pan but ended up cooking 10 mins less.

  7. We absolutely LOVE this cake! One of our favorites and I’ve made it several times. I make sure I save my calories for this for dessert after dinner!😋

  8. This is our current favorite of your very moist cakes, Gina. Only problem, we want a larger serving. ☺️ So I further reduced the calories by eliminating honey (replaced with 1/2 cup monk fruit) and oil (replaced with low fat buttermilk). I added more buttermilk if the batter still appeared too dry. The cake  is just so darn good you don’t need the frosting as other reviewers have said. But a squirt of low fat whipped cream isn’t bad. 
    Hopefully the changes didn’t alter the integrity of the recipe.  And I’m not saying how many serving we got from this cake….

  9. Avatar photo
    Mary Kay Erben

    I made this as cupcakes. For dietary reasons, I substituted 1/3 cup of monk fruit sweetener instead of the honey. They were delicious! No need for frosting. They make a wonderful breakfast muffin, and they are just as good a couple of days later. 

  10. I can’t wait to try this! One question: I have no idea how much my zucchini weighs.Any idea how many cups of shredded zucchini this comes out to, before or after squeezing the water out?

    1. Avatar photo
      Mary Kay Erben

      I just took a large zucchini that weighed close to 8 ounces. Grate it and squeeze out the water. I don’t think that it needs to be exact. It came out great.

  11. I made them into cupcakes, I was too lazy to make the frosting. They were great, my husband is picky and refuses to eat them, but a friend who hates almost everything ate 3. Of them and said they were great! Will make again and make the frosting 

  12. I thought it was very good. I made 12 cupcakes and cooked for 30 minutes. Only thing I think I’ll do next time is add walnuts,

  13. A helpful tip for anyone making the frosting: note that you will not achieve a white frosting as in the picture if you add 2 teaspoons of regular vanilla, as indicated in the recipe. It will be a definite (unattractive) off-white due to adding that much vanilla. If you want a true white frosting, you’ll need to use clear vanilla. Hoping to save someone from throwing out a batch as I did since it was such an ugly shade. 

  14. I’m not understanding why when I plug in the nutrition information into WW app, it makes this 8 Points on the purple plan when its listed on this site as being 4….?

  15. I was very encouraged by the many positive reviews, but this missed the mark for me. Came out like a banana-zucchini bread hybrid rather than a cake. The frosting, even with the sugar and extract, just felt like cream cheese rather than frosting. Definitely eats like diet food and left me feeling like something was missing.

  16. Avatar photo
    Cynthia Pastula

    Deliciously moist and full of flavor. I love the texture created by the pineapple, & zucchini, along with added fiber of the banana. Put it all together and you get an amazing cake.

  17. The first time I made this, I squeezed out too much of the liquid from the zucchini and pineapple, and the cake was dry. This time I showed a little more restraint, and the cake was moist and delicious…scrumptious! 😋

  18. Wow. Nearly speechless. This was perfection. So soft and moist and full of delicious flavor. I skipped the frosting because I couldn’t wait, couldn’t be bothered and don’t need the extra calories when it’s already perfect as is. I also halved the recipe so that I wouldn’t be tempted to eat too much (very very very good call – the amount of willpower right now not to put my face in the pan and eat it all in one go is quite a thing to behold, but anyway) and baked it in a smaller rectangle glass baking dish (7.5″ x 11″) for 20 minutes.

  19. Man oh man!! This is absolutely delicious!!! My husband who hates all veggies loved this cake! I made it exactly as written and turned out beautifully. I really wasn’t prepared for it, it so similar to carrot cake. I can’t wait to make it again for my mom! 

  20. So we would just use 1&1/2 cups of gluten free flour instead or do we need to use 3/4 cup gf and 3/4 cup something else? Thanks!

  21. Avatar photo
    sharon Colquhoun

    This turned out beautifully. Moist and delicious with or without the frosting. Love that there’s no added sugar. Make it, you won’t be
    disappointed. 

  22. Our celiac family loved this cake made with Bob’s 1 to 1 GF flour.  For ease and time I mixed all the dry ingredients in my food processor and poured into a bowl.  Next, I, shredded the zucchini removed to a towel , rolled,  then twisted to remove excess moisture. And let it sit while added the banana and pulsed to make a fairly smooth consistency.  Then all the wet ingredients were added until blended and finally added the zucchini with a few pluses to chop it up a bit more.  Add the wet ingredient to the dry and continue per recipe.  I must admit, I added more powdered sugar to the frosting, although it probably wasn’t necessary.. 

  23. Gina, could you please explain something in the nutritional section.  Some times it says 4 SP + 5 calories ….or 3 SP + 3.  I not sure how to interpret this.  LOVE your recipes!

  24. So good. I brought some of the cake into work. Coworkers liked it. I used all white whole wheat flour. The cake tastes better the 2nd and 3rd day.

  25. The cake came out great!  It was moist and delicious.  The frosting was a little sparse, in other words, not quite enough to put a good layer over the cake, but good flavor contrast with the sweetness of the cake.

  26. Avatar photo
    Janet Williams

    My cake was too wet. I am wondering if I added too much zucchini. I drained the pineapple and squeeze the water out of the zucchini.

  27. Made this tonight. Without frosting. It’s the first time ever when I’m doing a cake with zucchini, but I’m sure it’s not the last. This cake it’s amazing. Everyone in my family love it. Last weekend was https://www.skinnytaste.com/yogurt-chocolate-chip-muffins/, a hit too. Thank you very much for your recipes.

  28. Made as written and this was delicious! For us it could actually do with less honey (my bananas were extremely ripe/sweet) and while the cream cheese frosting is a favorite of mine, this cake is good enough to go without!

  29. Made this last night and it was a hit! I only needed four bananas, and took it out a few minutes early. Everyone loved it, even though it’s so hot here right now that the frosting melted off. ?

  30. Avatar photo
    Kristina Hopkins

    This was amazing. Definitely like a summer version of carrot cake. I made it for my husband’s birthday and we’ve been loving it. Thank you Gina!

  31. made this yesterday for a picnic. it was good but the middle part collapsed. what did l do wrong. used a disposable 9×13

  32. I absolutely love this recipe! Gina what did you use to squeeze a zucchini? I did it by hand and not sure if i squeezed it enough. 

  33. Made this tonight and it’s wonderful! Turned out just like the photos.  So rich and flavorful, and MY KIDS ATE ZUCCHINI!!!!

  34. Tried this over the weekend and it was LOVED by all!! I added some candied ginger that I minced up, and it was a moist spice cake. The men never knew about the zucchini and thought it was a decadent cake! Thank you!!

  35. I made this tonight and it was so wet that the interior of the cake never baked.  It formed a lovely brown crust on the top and bottom.  It was in the oven for 50 minutes.  But I ended up having to scrape it out of the pan in a mushy lump.  I drained the pineapple and squeezed the zucchini out, but it was just too wet.  I didn’t make any alterations to the recipe.  Any thoughts on what went wrong?

  36. Just made and these and love them! I made into muffins for easy grab and go snacks
    Used just 1/3 cup of maple syrup instead of the 2/3 cuos honey and got 22 muffins making them 2 points each!
    They are plenty sweet enough and lovely and moist! 

  37. This is so well timed and such an excellent recipe! Thank you!! I made this last night as a dozen muffins with the following subs based on what I had at home already:
    Monk fruit for honey (same vol)
    Unsweetened applesauce for oil (same vol)
    2 bananas instead of 2 cups (which was just because I misread!)
    + a handful of dark chocolate chips
    – frosting (no cream cheese on hand)
    [cals/muffin 94, carbs 27g, fat 2g, protein 3g]

  38. I am picking zucchini by the bushels with no end in sight. I have shared a lot of zucchini bread with family and friends. They will be thrilled that I have found a new zucchini recipe. ? Thank you for sharing!

  39. Was wondering if you could cook this as a bread instead of a sheet cake.  If so, what changes in temperature and cook time would you recommend.  Thanks so much!  It looks really good!

  40. FYI, I just used the WW online food list to find the Frosting ingredients: the cream cheese was a total of 24 freestyle points (FSP), and the powdered sugar is 7 FSP for a total of 31, divided by 16 servings = 1.9375 FSP that can be reduced from the per serving points!!!! Yeah!!!!
    Going to buy some flour and get baking!!!

  41. This looks delicious !! How would the nutritional info/WW smart points for Freestyle change is the icing was omitted ??? No one in my family likes icing ..thanks so much !

    1. Coconut flour will make it too wet. Almond flour is too dense. When I was Paleo, substituting those flours with a regular non paleo recipe never worked out b/c the liquids and oils need to be adjusted too.

    2. I’d love to try it with grain free flours. I wonder if half almond/half tapioca starch would work. I have had good luck with that combo replicating regular flour.

    1. If you look in the narrative of the recipe under tips… “I tested this with a blend of whole wheat and white flour as well as gluten-free with Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Mix and it turned out delicious both ways.”

      1. Tthe amount of flour actually stays the same for Bob’s GF flour so it would come to 1 1/2 cups.

  42. Do you have to use a metal cake pan? I have glass of the same size and really don’t want to buy another pan.

    1. I was taught that if you substitute glass for metal, you should reduce the temp by 25 degrees. But I’m not sure if that is a “written-in-stone” rule, or just a guideline?! Anyone know for sure?
      I don’t bake as much as I cook, but am certainly going to make this bread (without the frosting–would be too sweet for me!!)!!!! -db

  43. Avatar photo
    Gael Shipstad

    This recipe sounds perfect for our 4th of July celebration gathering! I’m not clear on what size sheet pan..I have a 13″ x 10″. That size or larger? Thanks for your clarification.

    Gael Shipstad

  44. I have been looking for a good smash cake recipe for my daughter’s first birthday that is not full of processed stuff and this looks like it will be perfect!!

  45. i was wondering if one could substitute Agave for honey, or have you tried using Agave sweetener in any recipes?

  46. Thinking of making ahead of time without the frostin and freezing it. Then when ready to use, defrost for the day and then apply frosting?  What’s everyone think!?

  47. Avatar photo
    Marsha Wilson

    Hi Gina,
    This looks delicious! Can you substitute sugar for honey? If so, would it be 2/3 cup or less? Thanks!

    1. I just googled this and found this: The Rule: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey.

  48. Avatar photo
    Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite

    I hate dry cakes, but this recipe is anything but that with the zucchini, honey, banana, and pineapple! YUM 🙂

  49. Do you think this would work replacing the zucchini with carrot? The recipe almost looks like a sunshine carrot cake.

    1. I myself have done just all zucchini, just all carrots and even have done 1/2&1/2 to the measure amount! To bring it  up a notch can add choc chips & if not allergic can add nuts too . I usually do 1/2 cup measurements! That’s ( 1/2C nuts Chopped )
       I omit pineapple, I don’t care for pineapple baked in cakes
      Just my preference. But do like pineapple.