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Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Coffee Cake

Cinnamon sugar zucchini coffee cake with an all-over thick crumbly cinnamon brown sugar streusel. A tender zucchini cake stays moist with a simple swirl, sliceable layers, and a clean toothpick finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Cinnamon Streusel
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9 baking pan for easy release.
  2. Grate zucchini and squeeze it dry; set aside so the cake bakes without extra moisture.
Make the cinnamon streusel
  1. Mix all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl until evenly combined.
  2. Cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with no large chunks.
  3. Refrigerate the streusel while you mix the cake batter.
Mix the cake batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for the cake in a bowl.
  2. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Stir in the grated squeezed dry zucchini.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, keeping the batter tender.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the batter into the greased 9x9 pan.
  2. Sprinkle half the streusel evenly over the top.
  3. Swirl lightly through the top to create visible layers.
  4. Top with the remaining streusel, covering the surface.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 35–42 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting so the cake sets and slices cleanly.

Notes

For the best crumb and visible streusel layers, squeeze the grated zucchini very dry and avoid overmixing after adding the flour. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use low-fat sour cream without changing the bake time.