Zesty Lemon Zucchini Coffee Cake

I never thought to put zucchini in a coffee cake until I saw my neighbor doing it one summer when she had way too many growing in her garden. Growing up, coffee cake at our house was always the same – brown sugar and cinnamon, nothing fancy.

But here’s the thing about adding zucchini – it makes the cake incredibly moist, and when you pair it with lemon, it creates this light, fresh taste that’s perfect for breakfast or brunch. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to use up all those extra zucchini that seem to multiply overnight in your garden during the summer months.

What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?

For baking, you’ll want to pick medium-sized zucchini that are about 6-8 inches long – these tend to have the perfect moisture content and fewer seeds than larger ones. The really big zucchini from your garden might be tempting to use, but they can be watery and have tough seeds that could affect your coffee cake’s texture. There’s no need to peel your zucchini for this recipe since the skin is soft and adds nice little green flecks to your baked goods. Just be sure to give it a good wash, trim off the ends, and grate it using the large holes of a box grater. If your shredded zucchini seems especially wet, you can pat it lightly with a paper towel, but don’t squeeze out too much moisture as it helps keep your cake moist.

Options for Substitutions

This coffee cake recipe has several ingredients that you can swap if needed:

• Greek yogurt: If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can use regular plain yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk. If using regular yogurt, strain it in a coffee filter for 30 minutes first to remove excess liquid.
• Vegetable oil: Feel free to use canola oil, melted coconut oil, or even melted butter instead. Each will give a slightly different but equally good result.
• Meyer lemons: Regular lemons work perfectly fine here. You could even mix things up with a combination of lemon and lime, or use orange zest for a different citrus twist.
• Zucchini: Yellow summer squash can be used instead of zucchini – just make sure to squeeze out excess moisture either way. You’ll get the same moisture and texture in your cake.
• Brown sugar: For the streusel, you can use all white sugar if you’re out of brown sugar. Or make your own brown sugar by mixing 3 tablespoons white sugar with ¼ teaspoon molasses.
• All-purpose flour: This is pretty important for the right texture, but you can use cake flour if you have it – just add an extra 2 tablespoons per cup of flour called for in the recipe.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when baking with zucchini is excess moisture – make sure to gently squeeze out the liquid from your shredded zucchini using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels before adding it to your batter, or you’ll end up with a dense, under-baked center. Another common mistake is overmixing the batter once you’ve added the flour – stop stirring as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated to ensure your coffee cake stays tender and light. When making the crumb topping, the butter needs to be very cold and cut into tiny pieces – using warm or melted butter will give you a sandy texture instead of those perfect, chunky crumbs everyone loves. For the best lemon flavor, zest your lemons before juicing them, and remember to press the zest between paper towels to remove any excess moisture that could affect the cake’s texture.

What to Serve With Lemon Zucchini Coffee Cake?

This bright and moist coffee cake is perfect for breakfast or brunch, and there are lots of tasty ways to serve it! A hot cup of coffee or tea is the natural choice – I particularly like a light roast coffee or Earl Grey tea since their flavors won’t overpower the lemony notes. For a complete breakfast spread, pair your cake with some fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries, which complement the citrus flavors nicely. If you’re serving this for afternoon tea, a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes this treat even more special.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This lemon zucchini coffee cake stays moist and yummy when kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you live somewhere humid, it’s better to pop it in the fridge where it’ll stay fresh for up to 5 days. Just make sure to wrap it well to keep that crumb topping nice and crisp!

Freeze: Good news – this coffee cake freezes really well! Cut it into individual slices, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. It’s super handy when you want just one piece for breakfast or with your afternoon coffee.

Thaw & Enjoy: When you’re ready for a slice, just take it out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for about an hour. If you like it slightly warm, pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. The glaze might look a bit different after freezing, but it’ll still taste great!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	35-42 minutes
Total Time	50-62 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1500-1700
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 70-80 g
• Carbohydrates: 230-250 g

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 lemons, zest and juice separated (preferably meyer lemons)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, unpeeled and loosely packed

For the crumb topping:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp reserved lemon zest
• Pinch salt
• 3 tbsp cold butter, diced

For the glaze:

• 1/3 cup packed powdered sugar
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice (add as needed for drizzling texture)

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Coat a 9-inch round or square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.

If you prefer, a deep dish pie plate can also be used for this recipe.

Step 2: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Whisk the ingredients together until evenly blended, then set the bowl aside for later use.

Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients and Incorporate Zucchini

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 lemons, zest and juice separated (use 1/4 cup juice and 2 tsp zest here; reserve 2 tsp juice and 1 tsp zest for later)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, unpeeled and loosely packed

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the white sugar, Greek yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, 1/4 cup lemon juice (reserve 2 teaspoons lemon juice for later), 2 teaspoons lemon zest (reserve extra zest for the topping), and vanilla extract until well combined.

With a wooden spoon, fold in the shredded zucchini just until evenly distributed.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures, Then Fill the Pan

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• wet ingredient mixture with zucchini from Step 3

Add the dry ingredients from Step 2 to the wet mixture from Step 3.

Gently mix just until the batter comes together and no streaks of flour remain—be careful not to overmix, as this keeps your cake tender.

Pour the finished batter into your prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.

Step 5: Prepare and Add the Crumb Topping

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (from pantry)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (from pantry)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (from pantry)
• reserved lemon zest from Step 3 (about 1 tsp)
• pinch of salt (from pantry)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (from fridge or pantry)

In a small mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the remaining reserved lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon), a pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter.

Use a pastry blender or a fork to blend the mixture until you have pea-sized bits of butter.

Then, use your hands to rub the mixture together until it looks like coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle this mixture in an even layer over the cake batter in the pan.

I like to make a little extra topping for some extra crunch!

Step 6: Bake and Cool the Cake

Bake the cake in your preheated oven for 35 to 42 minutes, or until the crumb topping is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

When finished, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before drizzling with glaze.

Step 7: Prepare and Drizzle the Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar (from pantry)
• 1–2 tsp reserved lemon juice from Step 3
• 1–2 tbsp milk (from fridge)

While the cake cools slightly, mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons reserved lemon juice, and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl to form a smooth, pourable glaze.

Drizzle this glaze over the cake while it is still a bit warm so it soaks into the topping slightly.

For extra zing, I like to add a touch more lemon juice to the glaze if you love citrus flavor!