This cake is so moist and tasty. Its also a great way to use up all those summer zucchini’s growing in your garden!

Preheat your oven to 180C (fan forced) and line a cake tin with baking paper. I used a square cake tin and a loaf tin. I froze one after it had cooled (yes you can freeze it with the frosting on!)

TIPS – You will need a large mixing bowl as this is too big for your thermo cooker.  Please note, I didn’t clean the jug between any of the steps whilst making the cake. Just keep emptying each item into your mixing bowl, then wash out before making the icing.

NOTE – this makes a very large cake, so use two cake tins if necessary.

We would absolutely love you to leave us a comment below and let everyone know what you think. It’s comments like this that make our day, and help us improve a recipe if we need to. We look forward to reading what you think!

Tracey and Jo

February 20, 2018
  • 15m
  • 40m
  • 55m
  • One

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 130 g walnuts
  • 150 g dried pitted dates
  • 1/2 tsp. bicarb
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 370 g self raising flour (I sat the bowl on top of my Thermomix to weigh flour)
  • 375 g zucchini

Wet Ingredients

  • 260 g brown sugar
  • 100 g macadamia oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 150 g extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 pkt cream cheese (room temp)
  • 1 tbsp. orange or lemon juice
  • 80 g icing sugar
  • 2 tsp. orange or lemon rind

Instructions

Thermal Cooking Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a large cake tin with butter and baking paper and set aside. You also need a large mixing bowl separate to the thermo jug
  2. Chop walnuts for 1 sec/speed 5 (set aside in large mixing bowl)
  3. Chop dried pitted dates for 10 secs/speed 5 (place with walnuts in mixing bowl)
  4. Chop the zucchini for 5 secs/speed 4 - scrape and repeat for 2 secs/speed 4 and add to large mixing bowl
  5. Add bicarb, cinnamon, nutmeg and self raising flour directly to your large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon till well combined
  6. Your jug should be empty. Add all wet ingredients and beat all for 1 min/speed 4
  7. Add to your dry ingredients (in the large mixing bowl) and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour into prepared tin
  8. Bake for approx 40 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean
  9. Leave in tin to cool slightly before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely
  10. To make the cream cheese frosting - place all frosting ingredients into a clean jug and mix 10 secs/speed 4 - scrape and repeat a further 20 secs
  11. Spread over cooled cake and serve (you can freeze this with the frosting on)

Traditional Cooking Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a large cake tin with butter and baking paper and set aside
  2. Chop walnuts and set aside in large mixing bowl
  3. Finely slice dried pitted dates and add to mixing bowl
  4. Grate the zucchini and add to mixing bowl
  5. Add bicarb, cinnamon, nutmeg and self raising flour directly to your large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon till well combined
  6. Next, in a blender, add all wet ingredients and mix for 1 min/medium speed, then pour into your dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour into prepared cake tin
  7. Bake for approx 40 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean
  8. Leave in tin to cool slightly before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely
  9. To make the cream cheese frosting - place all frosting ingredients into a clean food processor, or mix master. On a medium speed, blend till nice and creamy
  10. Spread over cooled cake and serve (you can freeze this with the frosting on)

Nutrition

  • 12