CRANBERRY PINEAPPLE ZUCCHINI CAKE — Made with crushed pineapple, fresh cranberries and grated zucchini, this incredibly moist, simple cake is festive enough for the holidays, and the perfect dessert for any fall occasion.
If you’ve never thought of adding cranberries and zucchini to your baked goods, this Cranberry Pineapple Zucchini Cake is the perfect reason to consider this unlikely combination.
You may be thinking that cranberry and zucchini aren’t really in season together, which is mostly true. Although sometimes the cranberries show up at my grocery store while there is still zucchini in the garden.
But I’ve found that I can usually buy zucchini year-round, so as soon as the fresh cranberries appear in the produce department, I stock up!
I like to keep several bags of fresh cranberries in my freezer during the holiday season, so I always have some handy for my favorite cranberry recipes.
My husband says we have cranberries in the freezer that have been there for years, but he just doesn’t realize that I’m constantly using them and replacing them!
And let’s not overlook the pineapple in this delicious moist cake–it adds amazing texture and flavor, and it’s always been a great sidekick for cranberry.
This cake is moist and flavorful enough that it doesn’t need frosting, but I do like to add a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
If you like, you can definitely double the recipe to make two cakes. Just make sure you’re using 9-inch round pans. I’ve found when I bake this in an 8-inch pan, the middle never quite sets before the outside is overdone.
A 9-inch square pan works fine too–you’ll just cut your cake into squares instead of wedges. Either way, it’s going to look beautiful and taste fabulous.
If you’re looking for the perfect dessert to transition from summer to fall, this Cranberry Pineapple Zucchini Cake is definitely the recipe you need.
Be sure to save this Cranberry Pineapple Zucchini Cake recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Cranberry Pineapple Zucchini Cake
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Crushed pineapple
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla
- Produce: cranberries, zucchini
- Powdered sugar
Cranberry Pineapple Zucchini Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup tightly packed shredded zucchini
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the pineapple, eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients until combined.
- Gently fold in the zucchini and cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar before cutting into wedges and serving.
