This easy zucchini bread combines the flavors of my lemon cake and lime loaf recipes, with freshly grated zucchini folded in for extra moisture and to take full advantage of zucchini season.
🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this lemon courgette cake recipe. Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredient Notes
- Grated Courgette (Zucchini): Like my zucchini chocolate muffins, use the medium holes on a box grater to get finely shredded zucchini that blends into the batter, so you won't see or taste it. There's no need to squeeze out the excess moisture as the recipe is designed to account for it. Just place the grated zucchini in a bowl lined with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel until you're ready to fold it in.
- Fresh Lemons and Limes: Because this recipe uses both zest and juice, opt for organic citrus if you can. Be sure to wash them thoroughly first, then zest before squeezing out the juice.
- Almond Flour: Combined with regular flour, this creates a moist and tender crumb in cakes. It's often sold as "ground almonds" in stores. To be safe, choose a variety with a pale, even color and no visible almond skin. If you have some left over, it's perfect for trying out my gluten-free almond flour cake!
- All Purpose Flour: For the GF option, make sure you choose an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. I used Cup4Cup Ancient Grains Flour during testing, but readers often report King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour being a great option in my other recipes.
- Vegan Yogurt: Thick Greek-style yogurt is best, or you can use soft silken tofu or vegan sour cream in a pinch.
- Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), but if you prefer a milder taste, sunflower or canola oil are great alternatives.
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🔪 Instructions
Here's a visual overview showing how to make this zucchini loaf cake. Please refer to the detailed recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions. You can also hit the jump to recipe button at the very top of this page to skip to the printable recipe card.
Baking tips
Whenever I'm working with lemon zest, whether it's for a jar of lemon curd or a zesty lemon drizzle cake, I always begin by rubbing the zest into the sugar.
The sugar acts like a gentle abrasive, drawing out the fragrant oils from the peel and boosting the lemon flavor throughout the bake.
Then whisk the dairy-free yogurt, olive oil, and vanilla extract into the sugar mixture until smooth. The vegan buttermilk, which in this case is a blend of soy milk, lemon juice, and lime juice, goes in with the wet mixture.
Sift your dry ingredients first, then stir half of them into the batter. After that, use a rubber spatula to carefully fold in the grated zucchini and the rest of the dry ingredients until everything is just combined.
Switching to a rubber spatula lets you gently fold without overmixing, keeping the cake light and tender while scraping the bowl for even mixing.
Zucchini recipes have a high moisture content, so I tend to bake them at a slightly higher fan oven temperature than other cakes (170°C fan instead of 160°C fan).
If using a conventional oven, you might need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time. Just avoid going over 180°C to prevent burning the top of the cake.
Decorating tips
Before decorating, let the loaf come to room temperature and place it on a wire rack or on a board with a sheet of parchment underneath to catch any excess glaze.
The simple lime lemon glaze is optional, but it adds another layer of citrus flavor and sweetness to the bread. Simply mix extra zest with yogurt and powdered sugar before pouring it over the loaf.
💬 FAQs
Once fully cooled, wrap the cake in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature in a cool spot for up to 2 days. For longer storage (up to 5 days), pop it in the fridge. Thanks to the olive oil, zucchini, and being made without butter, it stays wonderfully moist and won't dry out.
If you prefer a less sweet cake, reduce the sugar by 25% to 112g and skip the glaze. Just note that this may slightly affect the texture, making the crumbs a bit less moist.
I don't recommend swapping the sugar for alternatives like coconut sugar in this recipe, as it can dull the fresh, zesty lemon flavor. For the best results, stick with regular granulated sugar to let the citrus shine through.
🥒 More Cakes With Hidden Veggies
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Lime Zucchini Bread (Gluten-Free Option)
Ingredients
- 250 g (1 large) zucchini/courgette finely grated weight *note 1
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (GF if needed) *note 2
- 75 g (¾ cup) almond flour *note 3
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 120 ml (½ cup) soy milk *note 4
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed *note 5
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed *note 5
- Zest of 1 large lemon *note 5
- Zest of 2 limes *note 5
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil *note 6
- 2 tablespoons vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 7
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (optional)
- 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar
- Zest of ½ large lemon
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon vegan Greek-style yogurt
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 170°C/340°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Lightly grease a 1lb loaf tin and place a sling of parchment paper into it to help lift the cake out once baked.
- Prep courgette: Wash and tail the courgette, and use a medium-hole box grater to shred it. Place it on top of a clean tea towel or sheet of kitchen roll in a bowl until ready to use.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt into a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make "vegan buttermilk": In a jug, mix the lemon juice, lime juice, and soy milk, and set aside.
- Flavor the sugar: Add the lemon zest, lime zest, and sugar to a separate large mixing bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar crystals feel "wet".
- Mix wet ingredients: To the sugar, add the olive oil, yogurt, and vanilla and whisk. Whisk in the vegan buttermilk mixture.
- Make the batter: Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until combined. Then switch to a rubber spatula, and gently fold in the other half of the dry ingredients and grated courgette.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the loaf pan, then run a knife dipped in olive oil down the center to encourage a clean crack while baking. Bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. While it cools, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon and lime zest, and yogurt to make the glaze. Once cooled, place parchment under the rack and pour the glaze over the cake, adjust the amount to taste. Finish with fresh lemon and lime slices for decoration.
Notes
- Courgette: Weigh the courgette after grating. Use the medium grating side of a box grater for finely grated shreds.
- Gluten-Free Flour: You can use an all-purpose GF flour such as King Arthur's Measure for Measure or Ancient Grains cup4cup.
- Almond Flour: This will often be labeled as "ground almonds". If in doubt, go for a brand of ground almonds with a uniform color without specs of almond skin throughout.
- Soy Milk: Swap for almond milk or oat milk.
- Lemon Zest & Juice: Zest before juicing. Use organic or unwaxed lemons and wash and dry them thoroughly before use.
- Olive Oil: Swap for canola oil, sunflower oil, or light olive oil.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: Sub with vegan sour cream, vegan skyr, or very thick coconut yogurt.
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