Hi and welcome to Cakeday. Doesn’t that sound a million times better than Monday?

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

Me thinks so.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

Now before I go ruining this post with terrible Monday jokes I have to tell you the most important thing about this cake:

This is quite possibly the best recipe I have ever created on the entire blog. I know that is a crazy thing to say but it may just be true. It’s definitely in the top 10 recipes and probably in the top 5 and definitely a contender for #1.

Do you know what this means?

YOU MUST MAKE THIS CAKE. I don’t care if you’re gluten-free or you eat all of the gluten—all of the time. This cake is about to be your best friend. You’re going to start having dreams about it and when zucchini season is over you’re going to cryyyy. But don’t worry because you can always switch up the zucchini for carrots. In fact, this recipe is based off my most recent carrot cake recipe that was adapted from my first carrot cake recipe, both of which I adore.

But this cake WINS.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

And it’s totally going to bathe in cream cheese frosting, because sometimes you just need cream cheese frosting drenched over a cake.

Unless you can’t tolerate dairy. Then you don’t want to do that. But don’t worry, I’ve got you dairy-free peeps covered. Check: options 1 + 2 + 3

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

Also. No mixer required! You’re going to whip this right in your blender. Because it’s easier and creamier and oh my god so good.

I realize I’m slightly excited about this cake, but you will soon see why.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

SEE!!!

photography side note: Do not even ask how I managed to get this photo. You should see the other 40 before this one. The frosting is quite thick and does not easily pour out of the creamer spout, making this pour shot nearly impossible. I used my remote shutter with my tripod set up and had the shutter speed cranked high. I also pre-focused the camera right in the spot I was pouring in hopes it would get a clear shot of the pour. Somehow, 1 out of 40 worked! Just keeping it real.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

The funny thing about photographing cakes is that you basically have to photograph the entire thing and then HOPE it tastes edible [preferably better than edible] so you can post the recipe without having to remake it. I totally lucked out here because this would have been a pain in the buttocks to remake and photograph.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

But holy moly the anticipation before that first bite! I could have died.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

I’m not even going to try and describe the texture to you because I think you can tell from the photos. And it’s got this dense but light thing going on that is confusing and amazing and too hard to describe.

Even more awesome news is that you only need oat flour + almond flour to make this cake! Ahh, simplicity.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

Zucchini baked goods will always hold a special place for me as I’ve explained on the blog before. Every year growing up my mom and I would bake loaf after loaf of zucchini bread as my dad would pull the biggest zucchinis you’ve ever seen from our garden and pile them up on the back step.

By the end of the season our loaves were filled with chocolate chips [because, why not?] which were obviously my favorite. So each year I feel the need to come up with a fun new zucchini baked good and this year I think I’ll stop right here.

Make this if you know what’s good for you.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

Print this!

adapted from: my carrot cake recipe

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

gluten-free, dairy-free option // yields about 12 servings

for the cake:

1 1/3 cup large grated zucchini, use 1-2 small/medium sized zucchinis with skin on[or peel if desired]
2 cups gluten-free oat flour
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons lightly packed muscovado sugar, or brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt, or low-fat
3 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled
1 cup dark chocolate chips

for the frosting:

8oz cream cheese
1/4 cup half + half
1-4 tablespoons 2% milk
4-6 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

*Take out all ingredients about 30 minutes before baking to let come to room temperature. Once the cake is cooling remove the cream cheese from the fridge to soften.*

Preheat your oven to 350* F.

Place your grated zucchini evenly on a kitchen towel with another on top. Press down gently and let the moisture absorb into the towel. Keep covered.

Thoroughly grease your bundt pan [I used a 9 3/4-inch by 3 1/3-inch bundt pan] or 2, 8-inch round pans on all sides with butter or coconut oil. Lightly flour and knock around to fully coat the pan. Flip over and knock on the pan to release excess flour.

In a large bowl stir together the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the milk, yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Whisk in the oil until fully combined. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk until just incorporated [when you no longer see dry flour].

Fold in the grated zucchini and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Pour into your pan and level. Place in the oven to bake for 42-52 minutes, or until the top is cracked and golden brown and a toothpick comes out nearly clean. You don’t want it gooey but just slightly moist.

Place the pan on a cooling rack for about 20-30 minutes. Carefully slide a thin spatula or butter knife around the center ring and edges. Flip over bracing with your hand and allow to cool fully on the rack.

Once cooled, place all frosting ingredients in your blender [starting with the lesser amount of milk and honey]. Blend until just fully creamy and add more milk for a thinner consistency or honey for sweetness. It will thicken a bit as it sits. Pour over the cake and store any excess covered in the fridge.

Serve cake and store leftovers fully covered in the fridge. Best eaten at room temperature or warmed for a few seconds out of the fridge.

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Notes: If you can’t find full fat Greek yogurt, low-fat and probably even non-fat will work okay. Plain whole milk yogurt can most likely be used but if it’s runny reduce to 3T.

Dairy-free: Use applesauce instead of yogurt. Use unsweetened almond milk or soymilk in place of 2%. Use one of the frosting recipes here: 1 + 2 + 3

Flours: Sub flours at your own risk. I would not attempt subbing the eggs with flax-eggs.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting [only 2 Flours!] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree

Happy Cakeday, people.

Ashley

I’m on vacation this week so if your comment or email goes unanswered I’ll get to it when I return! Thank you!

It’s Monday.

Let’s eat cake.

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting | edibleperspective.com

Actually, this cake was devoured yesterday for a little belated birthday celebration with friends. We headed to City Park Jazz—Chris’s excellent idea—fully stocked with wine, cheese, crackers, dips, veggies, chips, and this cake. Oh, and the coolest friends this girl could ask for.

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting | edibleperspective.com

I wish I had a photo of us hauling everything into the park. I also wish I had a photo of how we packed this cake on the bottom of a large storage bin with all of the snacks on top. Thanks to my very engineer-brained husband it worked perfectly. He put the cake on the bottom of the bin on a plate. Then he cut the top half off of a case-sized wine box, turned the box open side down over the cake and that was it!! What was the bottom of the box was now above the cake protecting it from getting smashed. We stacked all of the lighter snacks + picnic supplies on top of the cake without a problem.

We also may or may not have arrived via cab so we could enjoy more than 1 glass of wine each.

Sunday Funday at its finest.

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting | edibleperspective.com

So, this cake.

Funfetti cake was my all time favorite birthday cake growing up always covered in vanilla frosting. It’s been ages since I’ve had a vanilla on vanilla cake but this year it needed to happen. And it had to be filled with sprinkles.

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting | edibleperspective.com

This cake is adapted from my triple layer birthday cake and carrot cake recipes. I opted to use almond flour instead of almond meal for two reasons. I wanted the cake a bit lighter in color to really see the funfetti sprinkles. I also wanted to achieve a slightly lighter texture. Almond flour is processed from blanched almonds with the skins removed, as opposed to almond meal which is simply ground raw almonds with the skins.

I also tried using brown rice flour in the mix instead of sweet rice flour. I know sweet rice flour can be difficult to locate so I wanted to test out the results with brown rice flour. I also thought the brown rice flour might help lighten up the cake a bit. It’s still dense and extremely moist, but with a bit more fluff than the past cakes I’ve made.

I think you’re going to love it.

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting | edibleperspective.com

Print this!

adapted from my: Triple Layer Chocolate Vanilla Birthday Cake inspired by: vanilla bean funfetti cake+ brown butter funfetti cake

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting

gluten-free, dairy free // yields 1, double layer 8-inch cake

for the cake:

1 1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
1 cup blanched almond flour, or almond meal
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup muscovado sugar, or pure cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup agave nectar
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles/jimmies, plus more for topping

for the frosting:

3 cups raw cashew pieces, soaked at least 4 hours or overnight
1/3-1/2 cup agave nectar
4-6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla beans, scraped from 2-3 pods
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8-1/4 teaspoon almond extract
pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 350* F. Grease the bottom and sides of 2, 8-inch cake pans with coconut oil. Dust with a light coating of oat or brown rice flour on all sides [hit the sides of the pan while turning to coat evenly]. Turn the pan upside and knock to release excess flour.

In a large bowl combine the oat flour, almond flour, brown rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir well to combine.

In another bowl whisk the eggs together. Then whisk in the applesauce, milk, agave, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the coconut oil then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir or whisk the mixture until just combined [when you no longer see dry flour]. Fold in the sprinkles.

Pour the mixture evenly into the 2 pans then place in the center of the oven and bake for 22-27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean [not sticky, not dry]. Let cool for 20 minutes then carefully turn the cakes out and allow to fully cool on a wire rack.

While baking, rinse and drain the soaked cashews. Place in your blender with 1/3 cup agave, 1/4 cup milk, the vanilla beans, vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract, and pinch of salt. Blend starting on low working to high and using a tamper to keep things moving. Blend and scrape the sides until fully creamy. About 1-2 minutes. You want the frosting to stay as thick as possible, so add extra milk very slowly. Taste and add more agave as needed. Place in a container and refrigerate until fully chilled. It will thicken a bit as it chills.

Once the cake has completely cooled frost as desired. Serve within 2-3 hours after frosting or keep chilled and take out 30min or so before serving.

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Notes: I’m sure white rice flour can sub in for brown rice. I used blanched almond flour [processed with no skins] but almond meal should work fine. Be cautious when adding the almond extract. A little goes a long way. The almond extract is optional but I feel it really helps to mellow out the cashew flavor and help bring out the vanilla notes.

Funfetti Birthday Cake with Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream Frosting | edibleperspective.com

If only the ants didn’t get to the last slice!

Ashley