OMG this cake. I know AK readers are the biggest lemon lovers. This gorgeous lemon blueberry zucchini cake truly took my lemon desserts to the next level — and for good reason too…THIS CAKE IS SIMPLY AMAZING.
It’s made in one bowl, and baked in one pan (no need to layer!). You’d never guess that it’s gluten-free and made with zucchini! I’m telling you, this healthy lemon blueberry cake is next level.
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Lemon blueberry zucchini cake ingredients
This delicious gluten-free lemon zucchini cake is made with fresh, healthy produce like zucchini, lemons and blueberries, and is gluten free thanks to almond & oat flour. Just wait until you try that lemon buttercream. YUM. It’s easily dairy free, too! Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Zucchini: shredded zucchini adds the perfect amount of moisture to this cake so that we don’t have to use any oil. Be sure to measure the shredded zucchini, then squeeze it of excess moisture.
- Eggs: you’ll need two eggs in this cake recipe.
- Honey: this healthy blueberry zucchini cake is naturally sweetened with honey! You could also use pure maple syrup if you prefer but I love the honey + lemon combo.
- Lemon: we’re using both lemon juice and lemon zest for the ultimate lemon flavor.
- Flour: to keep this cake gluten free we’re using fine, blanched almond flour and gluten free oat flour. It’s one of my favorite combos! See below for how to easily make it yourself!
- Baking staples: don’t forget the baking soda, salt, and a little almond extract for that delicious cake flavor.
- Blueberries: pile in fresh, juicy blueberries. Yes, please!
- For the frosting: the lemon buttercream is made up of butter (or vegan butter), powdered sugar, lemon juice & lemon zest.
Can I use a different flour?
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend a substitute for the almond flour in this healthy lemon zucchini cake as it’s the only “fat” in this recipe that helps keep the cake moist and retain its texture. For the oat flour, I think regular flour or a gluten free 1:1 flour would work well, but please note that I haven’t tested it myself.
How to make homemade oat flour
You can easily make your own gluten free oat flour by simply placing gluten free oats into a blender and blending or pulsing until they’re smooth and resemble flour. This is a super easy & affordable option. Be sure to measure out 1 cup of your oat flour after making it! It’s also important to make sure your oat flour is VERY fine. Check out my tutorial with all of my best tips & tricks.
If you want to keep this cake gluten free, I suggest using gluten free oats to make your oat flour.
Tips for baking this cake perfectly every time
- Squeeze out ALL of the zucchini moisture. This will ensure that the zucchini cake bakes up well and isn’t too moist. First measure the zucchini, then squeeze it of excess moisture before adding it to the batter.
- Zest your lemons before juicing them. This makes it much easier to get all of the zest from the rind!
- Coat your blueberries. I recommend tossing the blueberries in a bit of oat flour before mixing them into the batter. This will ensure that the cake doesn’t turn completely blue and that the blueberries don’t fall to the bottom.
- Make it dairy-free (if you’d like). Simply use a vegan buttery stick in the frosting, or swap for your favorite dairy free frosting & add a little lemon zest + lemon juice.
How to store this lemon zucchini cake
This gluten-free cake can actually be made 1-2 days ahead of time! You can also store it after you’ve frosted the cake, too.
- To store: feel free to keep the cake at room temp for one day. After that, I recommend storing the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: feel free to freeze this cake either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it unfrosted for best results. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and then placing the cake in a zip-top freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, let the cake come to room temperature, frost it and serve it.
Tools you’ll need
- Mixing bowls
- Lemon zester
- Lemon juicer
- Zucchini grater
- Cheesecloth
- Whisk
- Parchment paper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 8×8 inch pan
- Hand mixer
Check out all of our favorite kitchen essentials here.
More zucchini recipes you’ll love
- The Best Zucchini Brownies You’ll Ever Eat
- Spiced Zucchini Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Healthy Marbled Chocolate Zucchini Banana Bread
- Nourishing Banana Bread Zucchini Breakfast Cookies (vegan!)
- Buffalo Zucchini Chicken Burgers
Get all of our amazing zucchini recipes here!
I hope you love this easy lemon blueberry zucchini cake recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Stay tuned for more zucchini recipes all week, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Cake (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup shredded zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup (168g) honey
- zest from 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Dry ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup (168g) packed blanched fine almond flour
- ¾ cup (71g) gluten free oat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the blueberries:
- 1 (150g) heaping cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons gluten free oat flour
- For the lemon frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) butter (or sub vegan buttery stick), at room temperature
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- To garnish:
- Extra blueberries for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Prep the zucchini. First, measure out 1 cup of shredded zucchini, then place shredded zucchini in a paper towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all of the moisture/water. This is very important!
- Mix the wet ingredients. Add shredded zucchini, eggs, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice and almond extract to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients: almond flour, oat flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- Add the blueberries. In a separate medium bowl, toss blueberries together with 2 tablespoons of oat flour. (This is to prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.) Fold coated blueberries into the batter.
- Bake the cake. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. I know this is difficult but it’s critical (otherwise the frosting will melt and become a gooey mess!)
- Make the frosting. Beat together butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest together on high with a hand mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled cake. Garnish with a few blueberries. Cut into 9 slices and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on August 4, 2020, republished on June 4, 2021, republished on May 24th, 2023, and republished on August 21st, 2025.
Hi Monique,
I tried the cake, but the base turned soggy because the blueberries released moisture while baking.
For next time, would you recommend coating the blueberries with an additional 2 tbsp of oat flour? If so, should that be extra oat flour, or should it be taken from the 71g of oat flour already mentioned in the recipe?
Also, How to avoid the sogginess and maintain a sturdy base?
Thank you!
Hi! Yes, feel free to coat the berries in an additional 2 tbsp of oat flour (not taken from the amount of oat flour listed). Let me know how it goes!
Amazing recipe! All of my family and friends absolutely loved this delicious lemon blueberry cake. Most of them didn’t even know there was the zucchini in it!
So happy to hear that!
Love your recipes, they always turn out well. For the icing, is there a substitute for the powdered (refined) sugar? Unfortunately, not on my can-eat list.
I’m so glad! You could try my paleo powdered sugar (made with coconut sugar). Just note that it will be darker in color.
Omg this cake!! I loveeee. So good especially while zucchini and blueberries are in season!
Absolutely! Perfect summer cake 🙂
Hi Monique
The sole puporse of 2 tbsp oat flour is to only coat the blueberries so they don’t sink to the bottom right? Or oat flour coating also absorb water from blueberries?
Hi! The oat flour is to both prevent the blueberries from sinking and prevent them from turning the cake blue when they release their juices while baking.
Hi,
I tried it out, it was amazing, can I replace blueberries with raspberries? to make a lemon raspberry cake?
But I also need the cake to be sweeter with slight tang, will it work out?
Glad you enjoyed! Yes, raspberries will work, or you can try this lemon raspberry cake.
Hi,
Can I use frozen raspberries and do I need to thaw them?
Im not gettting fresh raspberries and since raspberries are sour than blueberries, can I increase honey by 2 tablespoons to increase sweetness?
I’d recommend thawing them and then draining off the liquid before adding to the batter. And yes, that increase should work okay!
yummo !! this is delicious !
i read in the notes about flour substitution.
i’m gluten free and can’t eat oat flour and my daughter is not free.
I substituted the almond flour with Gluten free flour and the oat flour with coconut flour.
I also baked in a square shallow tin.
It turned out wonderful.
great recipe thankyou !
I’m glad that worked out well! Perfect treat 🙂
Hi,
Can I skip blueberries and make just a simple lemon zucchini cake, in that do I need to add in that additional 2 tbsp oat flour for coating or omit it?
Yes, that should work! No need to add the extra flour for coating.
This cake is my new favorite cake! It’s amazing! Such a delicious sweet but light flavor profile and texture. I subbed all purpose GF flour for the oat flour and it worked great. I’ve made this cake twice in 4 days because my family is going through it so fast! It’s SO SO GOOD and so easy to make! Thank you for this! It will be a new staple dessert or sweet breakfast treat for us!
One of our all-time favs, too! So happy you all loved it!
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes! I recommend thawing them, draining off the liquid, then tossing them in flour before mixing them into the batter.
Could I make this in a 9×5 loaf pan?
I haven’t tested it so I’m not 100% sure what the bake time would be!
This is one of my favorite cakes and I make it often. It’s quick, easy and delicious. I have a lot of cherries and I’m inspired to make a cherry almond version. My question is, is the lemon juice only used for flavoring or does it also activate the baking soda? Do you think 1 teaspoon would be enough?
That sounds amazing! The lemon juice also activates the baking soda, so I’d recommend sticking with the recipe as written for the base of the cake.
I usually have no problem following recipes but man I really messed this one up. 😭 I knew it was going to be bad when my batter was like a bread dough… Does this mean I just used too much flour do you think? The flavors were all there, honestly it still turned out delicious, but I am lost! Wondering if I just packed in way too much almond flour. I did substitute AP flour for oat. At 30 min my cake was gooey in the middle and had jagged, crispy peaks on top. I tried to save the batter with more honey and lemon juice but it just turned out so weird. I’ll have to try again.
Hi! I don’t recommend substituting the oat flour for another flour – that’s likely what changed the texture!
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you!
I wish I could give you an honest opinion on your wonderful looking blue Betty zucchini cake but the recipe defeats me. I am English….sorry & can not make head nor tail of your measurements of ingredients. I went on to google for help. Definitely confused. Com. In know I am 86 but not senile. I can buy spoons & cups in local stores but they don’t tell you what sizes of cups or spoons on the items I buy. Almond flour. Is it ground flour.
Oatmeal Flour I have foundthe oatmeal but can’t measure it. I can understand metric & pounds & ounces but sticks of butter I’m lost.
I am not criticising you but the worlrld is not just America. your great reccipies are not available because we are not on the same page. Any suggestions. as to a soloution. I know I am missing out. Toni T. You .
Hi Toni! We’re working to manually add metric measurements to all of our baking recipes here. Thanks so much for your patience as we keep working on this!
This recipe is outstanding! It is so flavorful and moist. I will definitely be making it again. I made a simple lemon icing with powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice. Even a dusting of powdered sugar would be great if you don’t want the lemon frosting. Thank you!
Love that! Such a great treat for spring and summer 🙂