This pretty vegan Zucchini Cake with Orange Marmalade Glaze captures all the freshness of the season. The cake is moist and delicious with the delicate flavors of zucchini and orange juice, and walnuts add welcome crunch and texture. The easy marmalade glaze is to die for. You can make this cake whole-wheat to keep it healthy. A vegan, soy-free recipe.
Spring is a great time to bake, because it’s not yet so hot that you don’t even want to think about turning the oven on, and there are all these great veggies around to bake with, like rhubarb and zucchini. And because zucchini is just so darn versatile, making a great addition to dishes savory and sweet, I always make sure I have it around as the weather warms up.
This golden, sumptuous vegan Zucchini Cake with Orange Marmalade Glaze is one of my favorite recipes so far this year.
If you love zucchini bread — and who doesn’t? — you will truly adore this cake. This is not your grandma’s zucchini cake, as delicious as it may be; it’s the elegant, modern version of it: still delicious, but utterly good looking as well.
I baked this cake in a bundt pan for the pretty look. You could use a regular cake pan or a tube pan. The batter is not enough to rise to the size of a full bundt cake, but I love the fluted ring shape. It just looks more special.
You can also bake this into cupcakes or mini bundt cakes. In that case, reduce baking time to around 25 minutes and check for doneness with a toothpick.
This makes the perfect dessert or a healthy snack for my little one when he gets home from school. Or for the adults among us looking for a decadent dessert that has a small halo of goodness to it.
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MORE VEGAN CAKES:
Gluten-free Berry Almond Flour Cake
Vegan Rhubarb Ginger Upside-Down Cake
Vegan Squash Cake with Pineapple Frosting
Vegan Orange Cake with Orange Marmalade Buttercream
Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake
Vegan Cucumber Cake
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Vegan Zucchini Cake with Orange Marmalade Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini, grated (About 2 medium zucchini)
- 1 cup pulpy orange juice (I toss some oranges into the blender and blitz them)
- 2 tbsp applesauce
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnuts (finely chopped)
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (can use whole wheat pastry flour or a mix for a wholegrain version)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 2 tbsp water (if feeling adventurous, use Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur instead)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix orange juice, ginger, applesauce, vanilla and olive oil.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until everything is moistened. If the batter looks dry at this point, don't worry-- the zucchini will express tons of moisture.
- Fold in the zucchini and the walnuts.
- Grease and flour a fluted bundt pan, tube pan or 9-inch cake pan. Scrape the batter into the pan and make sure it's evenly spread.
- Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Remove to a rack, and unmold the cake after letting it stand 10 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze by mixing the marmalade with 2 tbsp of water in a small saucepan. Heat until bubbly, then brush onto the warm cake. Let the cake cool thoroughly before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, leave out the walnuts.
- If baking into cupcakes or mini-bundts, set the oven to bake for 25 minutes and check for doneness with a toothpick. Bake longer if you get moist batter on the toothpick.
Nutrition
Dear Vaishali,
I just made your zucchini orange cake into muffins. I followed the recipe but I reduced the sugar to 1 cup and used ground ginger. I had to bake the muffins for 40 minutes. I really, really love them!
Thanks for the great recipe! I will be baking them on a regular basis!
Hi Irene, so happy you made this, and thanks for the feedback on the sugar!
This recipe is the bomb! I’ve made it a few times and always get such great compliments.. its super moist and such fresh flavors coming through. My picky daughter loves it so much that its a regular request at home. Additions I’ve made – pinch od cardamom powder and a tsp of orange essence.. for that extra citrusy flavor. Thank you!!
Amazing! My husband made this today. Lovely and moist and irresistable! I’m afraid we’ve eaten half of it already between us! Everytime I pass it on the work top, I have to have a slice. Thank you!
Awesome to hear that, thanks for letting me know! 🙂
This sounds so amazing!! What other flavor marmalade do you think could work for this? I want to make a few of them and try different flavors!
You could try any citrus marmalades!
This lovely cake has been a huge hit at my house! My meat-eating husband did not miss the eggs nor did he believe that it was Vegan. Really moist and oh-so flavorful. I used orange liqueur in place of water for the glaze and this worked out perfectly
Vaishali,
I recently had computer problems and spent 5 hours on the phone with Apple support. I was wondering why I hadn’t received any recipes from you, so I checked your website and found I have not received the last four recipes. Something must have changed in my system… so could you please check to set up sending to me again…. There were no msgs from holycowvegan in my junk folder either.
Thank you, Ruth
Can we use any nut or seed butters instead of olive oil?
Hi Alka,
I have subbed an equa amount of almond/ peanut butter for the oil in Vaishali’s banana cupcake recipe. You have to whisk it well with the applesauce first and then probably whisk in the OJ before adding to the dry.
Did you have to squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini in a dishtowel before using the grated zucchini in the cake?
No! You need the moisture for the cake.
I want to make this lovely looking and delicious-sounding cake! Would it work to sub canola oil for the olive oil? Thanks!
Yes! Canola oil is a perfectly good substitute.
Looks delicious!
Please let us know how much sugar to add it’s not in the ingredients list
Thank you
1 1/4 cups– added now! Thanks.
This cake is awesome!!! Made cupcakes with apricot & orange Marmalade Glaze for a charity…received great reviews….