This moist zucchini hazelnut sheet cake is baked low and cut into handy bars, a little like brownies. Finely grated zucchini adds moisture, while ground hazelnuts give the crumb a richer, slightly denser texture. Cinnamon brings warmth, and the plain golden top needs no frosting.
How zucchini helps keep the cake moist
Zucchini has a mild flavor and blends into the batter when finely grated. Its moisture is part of this formulation, so do not squeeze the shreds dry. Leave the tender skin on for tiny green flecks. Hazelnuts and cinnamon make this a useful late-summer and early-fall bake.
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At a glance
Zucchini Hazelnut Cake Squares with a Cozy Cinnamon Crumb
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Total time
- 2 hr 25 min
- Yield
- 12 cake bars
Total time includes 1 hr 30 min of additional time. See the instructions for details.
Ingredients for 12 sheet-cake bars
Use a small metal pan approximately 30 × 20 cm (about 12 × 8 inches), with 1 bar per serving. Allow about 20 minutes preparation, 35 minutes baking and 90 minutes cooling: about 2 hours 25 minutes total. Line with parchment. This quantity is not intended for a full-size half-sheet pan; gram weights are the recipe reference.
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| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 300 g | zucchini, weighed after trimming the ends, skin on |
| 200 g | all-purpose flour* |
| 150 g | finely ground whole hazelnuts*, not defatted hazelnut flour* |
| 160 g | granulated sugar* |
| 3 | large eggs (about 150 g without shells) |
| 100 g | neutral sunflower oil* |
| 6 g | baking powder* (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) |
| 4 g | ground cinnamon* (about 2 teaspoons) |
| 2 g | fine salt* |
How to make zucchini hazelnut cake bars
- Prepare: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C conventional) or 320°F (160°C fan). Line a metal pan approximately 30 × 20 cm (12 × 8 inches) with parchment. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends and weigh out 300 g. For very large zucchini, remove the soft, seedy center first. Do not use zucchini that tastes unusually bitter.
- Prepare the zucchini and nuts: Finely grate the zucchini without puréeing or squeezing it dry. If an unusual amount of free liquid pools at the bottom of the bowl, gently pour off only that liquid, leaving the shreds moist. If starting with whole hazelnuts, grind in short pulses and stop before they become nut butter.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Thoroughly mix the flour, ground hazelnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Break up or sift any baking powder lumps so the leavening is distributed evenly.
- Mix the wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs and sugar for about 1 minute until combined, rather than beating into a very airy foam. Whisk in the sunflower oil, then stir in the grated zucchini.
- Finish the batter: Fold in the dry mixture with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Do not taste raw batter containing eggs and flour. Immediately spread evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake: Bake on the middle rack for about 30–38 minutes. Start checking the center with a skewer at 30 minutes: moist crumbs are fine, but there should be no liquid batter. The top should be golden and the center should spring back lightly. Loosely cover if browning too quickly. Bake longer if the middle is still wet; color alone is not a doneness test.
- Cool and cut: Leave in the pan for about 15 minutes. Use the parchment to carefully lift onto a rack and cool completely for about another 75 minutes. Cut into 12 bars, for example four columns and three rows, only once cool. Wipe the knife between cuts for neater edges.
Moist bars with a slightly denser crumb
These are low, nutty cake bars with a soft crumb and a brownie-style serving shape. Moist should still mean fully baked, not a raw center. Test more than one spot near the middle and wait until completely cool before slicing.
Why not squeeze the zucchini dry?
The recipe is balanced around moisture in the grated zucchini. Wringing it out can make the cake drier. Small to medium firm zucchini are a good choice. Use a fine grater so the shreds distribute through the crumb instead of leaving long strands.
Grinding your own hazelnuts
Use finely ground whole hazelnuts rather than defatted hazelnut flour, which absorbs moisture differently. Pulse whole nuts briefly, scraping down as needed, and stop before they turn oily or pasty. Small nut speckles should remain, not large chunks.
Scaling up and storing
For a pan area of about 40 × 30 cm, double every ingredient to keep a similar cake depth. Baking time may vary, so use the skewer test. Keep the completely cooled cake well wrapped in a cool place and eat within 2–3 days; refrigerate in a warm kitchen. Freeze individual bars for up to 2 months and thaw covered in the refrigerator.
Estimated nutrition
Per bar, one of 12 equal pieces: approximately 292 calories, 5.4 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate and 18 g fat. Includes all the nuts and oil. Brands and portions affect the estimate; no extra frosting or decoration is included. Representative European labels and food-composition data are used, not a US Nutrition Facts calculation.
Contains wheat/gluten, eggs and hazelnuts; purchased ingredients may have other allergens or cross-contact. Do not use unusually bitter zucchini. Do not taste raw cake batter.
Recipe by myai
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