The One-Bowl Coffee Cake I Can't Stop Making

This recipe is the ideal use for extra zucchini, and there’s no mixer required.

By
Molly Allen
Molly Allen
Molly Allen
Molly Allen is a writer and editor with a focus on food, beverage, travel, adventure, and lifestyle content, A former bakery owner, her work spans kitchen guides, food and beverage round-ups, recipe development, etc. She's featured in Taste of Home, Good Housekeeping, Insider, Brides, Simply Recipes, and more.
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Published September 08, 2025
Molly Allen
A slice of zucchini coffee cake on a white plate with a crumb topping and background showing additional slices on a cooling rack

Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

When the tail end of summer rolls around, it means saying goodbye to excellent, juicy produce like peaches and berries. However, September also kicks off fall harvest, when pears, apples, yellow squash, and zucchini are abundant—especially zucchini.

Zucchini is one of my favorite versatile vegetables. I love to grill it, chop it up and saute it for pasta, and incorporate it into baked goods. In particular, I make this zucchini coffee cake every early fall when the garden yields more zucchini than I know what to do with.

It’s super tall, with a moist-meets-fluffy texture and notes of cinnamon and brown sugar. It’s everything I want in a coffee cake, and it’s ideal with a hot cup of coffee on a cool morning or packed on the go as an afternoon snack.

A slice of zucchini coffee cake with crumb topping on a plate with a fork

Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

Tips for Making Zucchini Coffee Cake 

  • Choose your zucchini: You can use any size of zucchini for this recipe. I often stick with a medium zucchini, which offers excellent moisture. 
  • Whisk dry ingredients well: While whisking the dry ingredients, be sure to get rid of any large clumps, especially the brown sugar. 
  • Don’t overmix the batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Overmixing the batter will result in a dense texture. 

Zucchini Coffee Cake Variations

  • Spice it up: This coffee cake uses cinnamon, but other warm baking spices could be added to the mix. Add 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom. 
  • Add chocolate: I love chocolate zucchini bread, and you can achieve a similar flavor here by mixing 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips into the batter before baking. 
  • Change the shape: Prefer a round coffee cake? Bake it in a 9-inch round cake pan.
  • Add a glaze: This coffee cake is a treat all on its own, but you could amp up the flavors with an easy vanilla or cinnamon glaze made with powdered sugar and a splash of milk.
Several pieces of zucchini coffee cake with a crumbly topping on a gridpatterned background

Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

Zucchini Coffee Cake

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 9 servings
Yield 1 (8x8-inch) cake
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

For the batter

  • 1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup (206g) packed light brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/4 cup milk, 2% preferred

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini)

For the streusel

  • 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (103g) packed light brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a parchment paper sling. Grease the parchment and pan with cooking spray.

  2. Mix the dry ingredients for the batter:

    In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

  3. Add the wet ingredients:

    Mix the melted butter, eggs, and milk into the flour mixture. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Rinse and dry the mixing bowl.

  4. Make the streusel:

    Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix in the melted butter until crumbs form. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter.

  5. Bake the coffee cake:

    Bake the cake until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes before using the parchment paper sling to transfer the cake to a wire rack. Cool completely or serve warm.

    Store leftover coffee cake covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
402 Calories
17g Fat
59g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 402
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 339mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 59g 21%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 34g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 5mg 23%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 203mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.