Zucchini Cake Without an Oven
Have you ever baked a cake using zucchini (courgettes)? If you haven’t, I hope this zucchini cake without an oven inspires you to give it a try! Zucchini is a wonderful ingredient to use in baking, and this is one of our favourite cakes at home. It is a lovely way to use up zucchini from your garden or make something delicious with courgettes when they are readily available.
I remember my sister introducing me to zucchini cake, and we enjoyed making it so much that we eventually got tired of it! After a few years, however, we began enjoying it again. I have since come to appreciate the importance of enjoying the things we love without necessarily having them too frequently.
One thing I particularly love about this recipe is that you can bake the cake without an oven. If you have a gas stove and suitable heavy-bottomed pans, you can divide the batter between two pans and bake the cakes over a very low flame. This is especially helpful if you don’t have an oven or would like to try a different way of baking at home. Of course, if you have an oven, you can bake the cake in a 1 kg cake tin instead.
The ingredients are simple, and the preparation is straightforward. You’ll mix the dry ingredients separately, combine the wet ingredients in another bowl, and then add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Once everything is well combined, you can transfer the batter to your prepared baking tin or pans and bake.
One ingredient I wouldn’t recommend leaving out is the lemon zest. It adds a lovely citrus aroma and flavour that complements the zucchini and spices beautifully. My sister once tried making the cake without lemon zest and found that it didn’t have quite the same flavour. Since then, I have always included it whenever I make this cake!
The freshly grated zucchini also contributes moisture to the batter, so you don’t need to add milk or water to this recipe. Depending on the size of your zucchini and how much you have available, you can grate what you need and use the remainder in another recipe.
If you enjoy homemade cakes, practical baking methods, and budget-friendly recipes, I hope you’ll enjoy this one. You can also watch the full countryside kitchen vlog on my YouTube channel, Recipes and Hospitality with Clara, where I share how we discovered a huge zucchini in our garden and what we made with it.
Let’s get baking!
Zucchini Cake Without an Oven | Easy Homemade Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- grater
- Whisk or wooden spoon
- 2 approximately 7-inch heavy-bottomed pans for stovetop baking, or one 1 kg cake tin for oven baking
- Baking Paper
- Gas stove or conventional oven
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 cups grated zucchini courgettes
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla flavouring
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients.In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and mixed spice. Mix well so that the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
- Prepare the zucchini.Wash the zucchini and grate it using a grater. Measure out three cups of grated zucchini. Fresh zucchini generally provides sufficient moisture for this cake, so you do not need to add milk or water.
- Mix the wet ingredients.In a separate mixing bowl, add the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla flavouring, lemon zest, and grated zucchini. Mix until well combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients.Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix thoroughly until you have a well-combined cake batter. Avoid unnecessary overmixing once the flour has been incorporated.
- Prepare your baking pans.For stovetop baking, grease and dust two approximately 7-inch heavy-bottomed pans. Line the bottoms with baking paper to help the cakes release neatly after baking.Alternatively, grease and prepare one 1 kg cake tin for conventional oven baking.
- Divide the batter.Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, estimating the quantities so that the cakes are approximately the same size.
- Bake without an oven.Place the pans on your gas stove. Briefly heat the pans over a higher flame for approximately 20–30 seconds, then reduce to the lowest suitable setting for your stove. The exact flame setting will depend on your cooker and pans; the goal is to maintain gentle heat without burning the bottom of the cake.Cover the pans if your baking setup requires it, and allow the cakes to bake slowly. In my experience, one cake took approximately 40 minutes and the other about 50 minutes.Check for doneness by inserting a skewer or thin knife into the centre. It should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs, rather than wet batter.
- Alternatively, bake in an oven.Preheat your oven to 160–170°C. Transfer the batter to your prepared 1 kg cake tin and bake until the cake is cooked through. Begin checking at around 45 minutes, allowing more time if necessary. Baking time will depend on your tin and oven.
- Cool and serve.Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan or tin. Slice and enjoy with a cup of tea or your favourite homemade drink.
Video
Notes
- Don't skip the lemon zest. It adds a lovely citrus aroma and helps give the cake its distinctive flavour.
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Use fresh zucchini. Grate it shortly before preparing the batter for the best results.
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No extra liquid is needed. The grated zucchini supplies moisture to the batter.
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Bake gently on the stovetop. A very low flame helps the cake cook through without burning underneath.
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Allow for differences in baking time. Pan thickness, stove heat, tin size, and oven performance can all affect how long the cake takes to bake.
Watch the recipe video
Would you like to see how I prepare this zucchini cake without an oven? Watch the full countryside kitchen vlog on my YouTube channel, Recipes and Hospitality with Clara, where I share the cake-making process alongside other recipes and activities from our home. Watch the full zucchini cake vlog on YouTube below.Final thoughts
This zucchini cake is a lovely way to enjoy courgettes in something a little different from the usual savoury dishes. Whether you bake it on the stovetop or in a conventional oven, I hope it becomes a recipe you’ll enjoy sharing with your family.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Feel free to leave a comment below and share your experience.
For more budget-friendly recipes, practical cooking ideas, gardening, and Biblical hospitality, join me on my YouTube channel, Recipes and Hospitality with Clara. You can watch the full vlog featuring this zucchini cake without an oven and other activities from our home using the link shared in the recipe card.
Thank you for stopping by, and happy baking!
Enhancing our hospitality for the glory of God.
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Basic No-oven Cake Recipe on Gas