Zucchini Nut Cake

This is a close recreation of a lost recipe of my mother's, a zucchini cake with a baked-in caramel nut topping, similar in concept to an upside-down cake. Kids of all ages love it, and it is sure to be a favorite during zucchini season!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 505 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 tablespoon water, or more if needed
• 1 cup brown sugar, not packed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt®).

Step 2

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together in a bowl. Cream butter and vegetable shortening together in a separate large bowl until thoroughly combined; beat in white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat eggs, water, and vanilla extract into the shortening mixture, followed by the flour mixture. Gently stir in zucchini and 1/2 cup walnuts. If batter seems dry, mix in 1 more tablespoon water.

Step 3

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar until it has dissolved and small bubbles appear in the mixture. Stir 1/2 cup walnuts into the brown sugar mixture.

Step 4

Spoon brown sugar-walnut mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake pan and pour cake batter over the mixture.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert over a serving plate to reveal the brown sugar topping.