Spiced Zucchini Pear Cake

This cake has a lot going on, it’s true. It’s full of zucchini, pears and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Plus it’s topped with a cream cheese frosting flavored with maple syrup. Yep, definitely a lot going on for one little cake.

But it’s not overwhelming. In fact, all of those many flavors work together to create one super seasonal and super yummy treat.

Our garden was very good to us again this year. And just as in years past, we had more zucchini than is possible for a couple to consume. Zucchini has got to be one of the easiest things to grow, with minimum input and maximum output. If you have a spot of land, there’s no reason why you couldn’t and shouldn’t grow your own zucchini. Then you’ll have plenty of it fresh for delicious things like this cake.

I think one main thing that attracted me to this cake recipe was that it looked and sounded so much like a zucchini quick bread recipe. Turns out it tastes a lot like a quick bread recipe, only more tender. And it doesn’t spark any confusion; it’s dessert, plain and simple. But it’s not overly sweet and I’ll admit, this is one dessert that would be great with a cup of coffee for breakfast.

I altered the recipe to include pears, but you could easily swap for apples or bananas, or omit altogether. Play around with it, have fun, you can’t go wrong!

Spiced Zucchini Pear Cake
Adapted from My Baking Addiction
Makes one 9 inch bundt cake

1 1/4 all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 brown sugar
1/2 sugar
2 eggs
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup pears, peeled and diced

For the frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 inch bundt pan. Alternatively, you can use a 8 inch square pan.

In a bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, and sugar. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until the mixture just comes together and the dry ingredients have fully incorporated into the wet ingredients. Fold in the zucchini and chopped pears.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto your serving platter to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and powdered sugar and beat until combined.

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