Butterscotch Zucchini Cake Recipe with a Crunchy, Sugary Topping (2024)

August 27, 2017September 11, 2023

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Butterscotch Zucchini Cake is an old fashioned recipe for a no frosting zucchini cake. With its crunchy, sugary topping made of butterscotch chips, cinnamon and sugar, there’s no need to add a frosting. It’s a go-to option for any cookout, pitch-in or just a mid-week treat.

Butterscotch Zucchini Cake

Over the years, we’ve collected endless, old fashioned zucchini recipes. But, there’s one recipe that Barbara makes on repeat every year. Excess zucchini means we are making our go-to recipe, Butterscotch Zucchini Cake from the Pot O’ Gold Cookbook from our Great-Aunt Gertie’s church out in Iowa. It never fails to impress and she always gets asked for the recipe when she takes it to cookouts and pitch-ins.

Some of our favorite recipes are from the Pot O’Gold Cookbook, and we have shared many on the blog over the years.

• Orange Julius
• Rhubarb Bread
• Classic Sloppy Joes
• Tuna Macaroni and Cheese
• Italian Green Beans

No Frosting Zucchini Cake

Now, I love a good frosting, especially on a zucchini dessert such as Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars.Frosting makes everything better. This old fashioned zucchini cake is one of those exceptions to the rule. Just say no to frosting this easy zucchini cake. Instead, this cake makes it’s own crunchy, sugary crust on top.

It’s made from a combination of butterscotch chips, cinnamon and sugar.The three combined eliminate the need for a frosting. To take it one step even further, we sprinkle half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the bottom of the pan to add another layer of flavor and texture to the cake as well.

How to Make Zucchini Cake with Butterscotch Chips

Full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for zucchini cake with butterscotch chips is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.

1. Mix together cinnamon and sugar, and sprinkle half on the bottom of a greased,13 x 9 inch cake pan or baking dish.
2. Cream oil, eggs, vanilla and sugars.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
4. Alternately add the dry ingredients and zucchini to the creamed mixture.
5. Spread the batter into the cake pan, and sprinkle remaining sugar mixture and butterscotch chips on top.
6. Bake until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake, approximately 50 – 60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Ingredients for Zucchini Cake No Frosting

• Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• Brown Sugar
• White Sugar
• Flour
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Ground Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Ground Cloves
• Nutmeg
• Zucchini, grated
• Vanilla
• Butterscotch Chips

Notes About Old Fashioned Zucchini Cake:

• Do NOT drain the zucchini after you grate it.
• Grease the bottom and sides of the 13 x 9 inch baking dish generously, and then sprinkle half the cinnamon-sugar mixture to cover all sides before filling with batter.
• Once you have the wet ingredients creamed and the dry ingredients sifted, you will alternate adding the zucchini and the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
• Avoid the urge to add more butterscotch chips.You could omit butterscotch chips entirely if you don’t have any on hand.
• This cake stays moist for several days too so no need to overdo it and eat it in one sitting.
• Check out our Amazon store for our favorite pantry and kitchen items.

What are butterscotch chips?

Butterscotch baking morsels are similar to chocolate chips; however, they are flavored to taste like butterscotch instead instead of chocolate.They make a great addition to cookies, cakes, pancakes, etc.

When we have extra butterscotch chips sitting around, there’s one recipe that we always make.Try Rice Krispies Scotcheroos, a family favorite way to use up leftover butterscotch baking morsels.

Old Fashioned Zucchini Recipes

Zucchini is one of our favorite summer ingredients and we have tons of recipes featuring this versatile vegetable.

• Spicy Roasted Zucchini
• Zucchini Quiche
• Zucchini Pie
• Cheesy Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole
• Easy Sausage Zucchini Casserole from Farmwife Feeds

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