Gluten-Free Zucchini-Almond Cake

(104)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Yield:
10 to 12 Serves

Grated zucchini gives this crowd-pleasing cake a moist texture and subtle sweetness. Almond flour adds nutty flavor and makes it perfect for those on a gluten-free diet. Martha made this recipe on "Martha Bakes" episode 812.

Ingredients

Cake

  • ½ stick unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for pan

  • 1 ½ cups almond flour (spooned and leveled)

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons potato starch (spooned and leveled)

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • ½ cup packed light-brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup finely grated zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini), squeezed of excess liquid

Frosting

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

  • cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Cake:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pan. Line bottom with parchment round; butter paper. In a bowl, whisk together almond flour, potato starch, baking powder, and salt.

  2. Set a large heatproof bowl over (not in) a pot with 1 inch barely simmering water. Add eggs and whisk until foamy, about 1 minute. Whisk in brown sugar and continue to whisk until mixture is fluffy and sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove bowl from pot and, using a mixer, whisk on high until mixture is pale, thick, and cool to touch, 7 to 10 minutes.

  3. With a flexible spatula, gently fold in melted butter, flour mixture, vanilla, and zucchini. Pour into pan and bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Invert onto a serving platter.

  4. Frosting:

    With mixer, beat together butter, vanilla, and cream cheese on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Spread on top of cake. (Cake can be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days.)

    gluten-free zucchini almond cake

Cook's Notes

Shopping Tips

Look for almond flour (also called almond meal) in the baking aisle. To keep it fresh, freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Pure vanilla extract is always gluten-free, but check your baking powder: Brands made with corn or potato starch are okay, but those that use wheat starch are not.

Variations

When Martha made this cake on "Martha Bakes," she doubled the batter ingredients and tripled the frosting ingredients to make a two-layer cake.

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