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mini zucchini cake with basil-lime cream cheese frosting

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mini zucchini cake with basil-lime cream cheese frosting

It’s another baby-cake! Last week, I wrote a little bit about my wedding cake fantasies and how I spent a weekend baking the mini versions of the cakes I’d like to bake if I made my own cake. One was a tiny hummingbird cake, and the other is this one. It’s one of my favorite cakes ever, and one that I really meant to share a lot sooner.  It started all the way in September of last year, when I caught a glimpse of this gorgeous cake by MBakes and was so instantly smitten that I spent the next week holed up in the kitchen recreating a mini version. It was one of my first real attempts at mini-fying cakes — and I think it involved enough dense, fallen, gummy mini failures to make up a full-sized cake — but the result was a recipe that I’ve used as a guide to a ton of other mini cakes since then.  It was the basis for last week’s hummingbird cake, plus this carrot cake I shared back in February, and like I mentioned then, it’s become my go-to for birthdays, going-away parties, random face-stuffing extravaganzas, you name it.

So after talking about it (throwback alert!) and talking about it and talking about it some more, here’s the little mini-zucchini (doesn’t that seem like it should rhyme?) cake that gave way to all the others!  The cake has all the moist decadence I love from zucchini bread, but with a lighter, more delicate crumb, and the frosting is (in my humble opinion) incredible.  The lime juice is the perfect lively balance to the cream cheese, and the basil was a recent addition that I’m equally crazy about. It might have been a little odd as a real wedding cake layer, but in my hypothetical wedding world, I love it.

mini zucchini cake with basil-lime cream cheese frosting

mini zucchini cake with basil-lime cream cheese frosting

I hope you’re all having fantastic Wednesdays! And such a huge hug and thank-you to everyone who commented on the hummingbird cake and shared your thoughts and experiences with me! I love hearing about weddings of all kinds, so it was super fun — and the advice is much appreciated. As far as blog-weddings go, you’re all totally invited and welcome to unlimited imaginary slices of an impeccably frosted, towering three-tiered wedding cake with a green tea layer, a hummingbird layer, and a zucchini layer. And all kinds of frostings. (In the blog-world, none of it clashes.)

mini zucchini cake with basil-lime cream cheese frosting


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Mini zucchini cake with basil-lime cream cheese frosting

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★★

2 from 1 reviews

This will yield one 3-inch three-layer mini cake, or about four cupcakes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • for the cake:
  • 1 1/2 tbsp oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 tsp brown sugar (optional; feel free to use 2 tbsp 2 tsp white sugar)
  • 6 tbsp (about 47g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch ginger
  • 1/3 cup grated zucchini, pressed to remove moisture
  • for the frosting:
  • 1 tbsp butter, softened
  • 4 oz Neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
  • about 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
  • 1 tsp finely chopped basil (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 4-ounce ramekins with parchment circles, or a cupcake tin with 4 liners.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, yogurt, vanilla extract, and sugars until blended. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix briefly, then fold in the zucchini. The batter should be fairly thick, closer to muffin batter.
  3. Scoop batter into ramekins and bake for about 20 minutes, or when edges begin to brown and the tops are golden. Let the cakes cool briefly in the ramekins, then run a knife around the edges and invert to remove. Let the layers cool completely while you make the frosting. (If you’re looking to frost the cake more precisely, wrap the layers tightly in plastic wrap once cool and freeze until you’re ready to frost.)
  4. To make the frosting, cream butter and cream cheese together until well-blended. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Last, add the lime juice, basil, and lime zest, then blend again. If the frosting is too soft, add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time; if too stiff, add more lime juice.
  5. Frost as desired, then serve! For more details on how to frost a naked cake, check out this tutorial and for other frosting styles, check out this one (plus their other tutorials, which are all amazing!)

Notes

I’ve also made this recipe using 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/3 cup flour — the extra leavener plus a little less flour will yield a more delicate crumb. The recipe above is still moist, but sturdier and a bit denser. With such small-scale recipes, the weight of the flour can make a big difference, so try for a lighter hand when scooping or use a kitchen scale if you have one.

The frosting recipe above may not be enough for a really thickly iced cake, so you may want to double it — either for insurance, or, you know, just to eat with a spoon.

Reader Interactions

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    • tworedbowls

      I felt the same way the first time I heard about zucchini cake!! Why have it in a loaf .. when it could be cake? Haha 🙂 Thanks so much, Abby!

      Reply

  5. dinnersforwinners

    Seriously with that frosting?! Wowww! The flavors are amazing! And so so cute. Thanks for sharing with us something that you’ve been digging for a while — those are always my favorite to read about 🙂

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Oh, that’s the kindest comment! It makes me so glad I finally got off my butt and posted it 🙂 Thanks so much!

      Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Between you and me, we could totally mini-fy the whole cake-world 😉 Hope you’re having the best time in La Jolla!!

      Reply

  9. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    You know that song “Funkytown”? This post reminded me of the lyrics “well I talk about it, talk about it, talk about it, talk about it. Talk about, talk about, talk about movin”. Ok, I’m a weirdo. Anyways, this post also makes me ravenously hungry for that adorable mini zucchini cake. It’s a perfect Nancy-sized cake! And that frosting sounds divine. Love that you used basil and lime together.

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      BAHA I looove that song!! It should be the soundtrack to this post. Thanks so much for the kind words, Nance <3 (and for your email -- soo appreciated!)

      Reply

  11. Todd Wagner

    This is so cute!!!! I love the green and white color thing you got going on. Also, I’m secretly obsessed with limes that have parts of the peel removed. No joke. Is that weird?

    Reply

  16. Katie @ Butterlust

    this little cutie has all my favorite green things (except maybe kale?) and i LOVE it! I’m totally coming to your internet wedding and eating 5 slices of cake. because that is also okay in the blog-world.

    Reply

  17. Lindsey

    basil. lime. cream cheese!? so many good things here, miss! you’re totally inspiring me to veer from my normal choc-choc cake! hope these august days are treating you two well! xo

    Reply

  18. Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation

    This is soooooo adorable! I love it.

    I am not a big wedding gal (we only had 4 guests at ours!) BUT if I’d *have* to be your wedding planner I’d suggest 1 mini cake like this per table. And do a his/her theme (kinda like what you did with the smoothies a few weeks ago). So family of the bride get a ‘green cake’ on their table i.e. this zucchini one and family of the groom and orange cake i.e. ‘carrot or orange or pumpkin’.

    I think it would be a rather cute affair.
    Happy planning and happy baking.;)
    Kimberly

    Reply

  22. Joyti

    Awww, good luck with the wedding planning! Feel free to contact me if you need to vent.

    The cake looks totally ADORABLES and sounds delicious. Zucchini and basil, so unique 🙂

    Reply

  23. Shikha la mode

    I don’t think I ever want to make regular size cakes anymore because mini ones are so damn cute and easier to work with! I have hands the size of a 12-year-old (seriously – I’m a size 3 in rings), so I think mini is the way to go.

    Reply

  25. Graham @ Glazed & Confused

    No lie, I would gladly eat all of those three layers!

    Your mini cakes are so so so cute, I cannot even. I would so try to make a mini cake but I’m scared that my clumsy giant man hands wouldn’t be the best of matches for one! *sad cat emoji* Wait and can we talk about how good that lime cream cheese is? I’ve made a similar recipe for one of my favorite carrot cakes with the addition of a little bit of coconut milk/extract. So so so so good.

    Reply

  26. alanafixfeastflair

    Obsessed is the first word that comes to mind. I’ve never made a mini cake but I am absolutely inspired to make one now! And that frosting, it sounds amazing. Lime and basil are my two favorites to throw into cocktails of course they’d be great as a frosting ;). xo

    Reply

  29. Anže

    I’m about to make this for my friend now! I know she’ll love it 🙂 I’m making it vegan doe with soy yogurt and coconut whipped cream 🙂

    Reply

  31. lindsayylovee

    These mini cakes of yours are out of control!!!! They are both adorable and stunningly gorgeous at the same time!!! Where is your little cake stand from? I’m kind of obsessed 🙂

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Ah, thank you for such kind words, Lindsay!! The stand is actually a candle stand from IKEA 😉 Is there anything that store doesn’t have?

      Reply

  33. Nicole B.

    I just came across your blog and your mini cakes are amazing! I absolutely love them. I can’t wait to give this one a try.

    Reply

  34. Kathryn

    I’m so going to make each of your mini cakes! Can we please have a chocolate mini cake for those of us who also need our chocolate fix in minature?

    Reply

    • tworedbowls

      Hi Kathryn! I do have one, in fact! It’s here — one of my favorite chocolate cakes ever! It’s a little smaller than this one (just two layers instead of three) but more than satisfying in my opinion. And now I’m craving one……. Thanks so much for your kind comment!

      Reply

  38. Jean Sophie Kim

    So…I tried this recipe the other night for a dinner party for deux, and it was perrrrrfect! Thank you so much. I like baking but don’t like actually having too many sweets around because argh, the temptation is excrutiating sometimes, so this was the perfect size. It was moist, delicious, the basil was such a nice added flavor. I’m going to pore over more of your recipes soon.

    Reply

  39. DEDE

    Middle and bottom parts of the muffins did not bake through, still mushy while the tops were getting too crusty. Used sour cream instead of Greek yoghurt but not sure if that’s the problem.

    ★★

    Reply

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