Salted Butterscotch Zucchini Coffee Cake

You know I couldn’t go through the rest of summer without giving you a NEW epic way to bake with zucchini. Although we’re not doing #AKZucchiniWeek this year, this recipe is the perfect way to use up our favorite summer veggie for the rest of the season.

I created a new unique, absolutely delicious coffee cake because honestly, I’m just in love with coffee cakes these days. I’m in my coffee cake “era” or something, okay? This is a salted butterscotch zucchini coffee cake baked with rich brown butter (the one and only) and topped with a light, perfectly sweet brown butter glaze.

I’ve been wanting to bake with butterscotch chips for a while now because they’re just so fun! You can, of course, customize with other chips and glazes if you’d like but trust me when I say this cake is love at first bite.

Ingredients in this zucchini coffee cake

This gorgeous butterscotch zucchini coffee cake is easier to make than you think and uses plenty of baking staples. The result is an out-of-this-world delicious cake with the perfect crumb. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Flour: we’re using all purpose flour in both the streusel topping and in the cake itself. See below for an easy gluten-free swap!
• Sweeteners: you’ll need dark brown sugar for the streusel, a little pure maple syrup for the cake itself, and powdered sugar for the brown butter glaze.
• Butter: what’s a coffee cake without butter? You’ll need regular salted butter to help the streusel come together, and then we’re browning that butter for the cake batter AND glaze because brown butter = life.
• Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs to help the cake bake up properly.
• Zucchini: if you’re not adding shredded zucchini to bake goods, WYD?! It adds the perfect amount of moisture and you won’t be able to taste it at all.
• Yogurt: a little plain or vanilla whole-milk Greek yogurt also helps add moisture to the cake.
• Baking staples: gotta have vanilla extract, a little cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder, and salt.
• Butterscotch chips: I just love these, okay? Plus butterscotch chips paired with brown butter is pretty much a match made in heaven.
• Milk: you’ll also need a tiny bit of milk to thin out the glaze.

Can I make it gluten-free?

Yes! Make a gluten-free zucchini coffee cake by simply swapping the all-purpose flour for 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. So easy.

What about dairy-free or vegan?

Feel free to use your favorite dairy-free yogurt (I like siggi’s plant-based cups) and dairy-free butter in this recipe to keep it dairy-free. Please note that you cannot brown dairy-free/vegan butter, so simply melt it before adding it to the recipe. You’ll also want to add dairy-free chocolate chips (or butterscotch chips if you can find them).

I haven’t tested this zucchini coffee cake using flax eggs, but let me know in the comments if you do! Then remember to follow the dairy-free instructions above.

More wonderful mix-ins

• Not a fan of butterscotch? No problem! Swap them for chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or cinnamon chips (yum).
• I also love making a toasted pecan butterscotch coffee cake by mixing in 1/2 cup heaping chopped toasted pecans to the batter with the butterscotch chips. It’s SO cozy and absolutely delicious.

How to make this delicious zucchini coffee cake

1. Make the streusel topping. Mix all of the streusel ingredients (except the butter) in a bowl until well combined, then pour in the melted butter and mix until nice clumps form. I like to use my hands to form some of the clumps. Cover and place the bowl in the fridge.
2. Brown the butter. Brown the butter in a saucepan, then set it aside to cool. Reserve a tablespoon to use in the glaze!
3. Prep your zucchini. Use a cheese grater to shred your whole zucchini, then squeeze out ALL of the excess moisture with a clean dish towel or cheesecloth.
4. Mix the wet ingredients. Measure out 1 cup of the shredded, squeezed-out zucchini and add it to a large bowl. Whisk in the rest of the wet ingredients (except the butter) until well combined.
5. Make the batter. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add the mixture to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in the brown butter until smooth, then fold in the butterscotch chips.
6. Bake it up. Pour the batter into a prepared pan (see below for options!), sprinkle with the streusel, and bake.
7. Glaze & devour. While the cake is baking mix together all of the ingredients for the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before drizzling the glaze over it, then slice and enjoy!

Choose your coffee cake pans

I like to use a 9 inch springform pan to make all of my coffee cake recipes because it creates a really pretty look and can easily be removed from the pan, but you can also use a regular 9 inch cake pan OR an 8×8 inch square pan.

Storing and freezing tips

• To store: keep the zucchini coffee cake covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, then place it in the fridge covered for up to 1 week.
• To freeze: let the cake cool and then wrap it well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place the full cake in a zip-top freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight, then let the cake come to room temp before adding the brown butter glaze and serving it.

More amazing cake recipes

• Espresso Yogurt Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
• Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake (gluten free, grain free)
• Lemon Pistachio Cake with Lovely Lemon Frosting
• Chocolate Zucchini Cake (healthy + gluten free)
• Brown Butter Strawberry Coffee Cake with Lovely Strawberry Icing

Get all of my cake recipes here!

I hope you love this salted butterscotch zucchini coffee cake! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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Salted Butterscotch Zucchini Coffee Cake

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

ServesServes 10 servings

The most incredible zucchini coffee cake with sweet butterscotch chips and rich brown butter baked right into the cake. Top it off with the perfect streusel and a luscious brown butter glaze for a beautiful dessert or brunch treat everyone will love!

Ingredients

• Streusel:
• 1 cup (120g) all purpose flour*
• ½ cup (107g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (70g) salted butter, melted
• Wet ingredients:
• ⅓ cup (75g) salted butter
• 1 medium to large zucchini
• ½ cup (112g) plain or vanilla whole-milk Greek yogurt (use vanilla if you want a sweeter cake)
• ½ cup (156g) pure maple syrup
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Dry ingredients and Mix-ins:
• 1 ¾ cup (210g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 heaping cup (180g) butterscotch chips
• For the brown butter glaze:
• 1 tablespoon reserved brown butter
• ½ cup (52g) powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoons milk of choice, to thin glaze
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 9-inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, or line a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
• Make the streusel topping: in a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the 6 tablespoons of melted butter and stir together with a fork until it begins to form into crumbles and resembles clumps of wet sand. You may need to use your hands/fingers to form into nice thick “clumps.” Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for later.
• Brown the butter: Add ⅓ cup (75g) butter to a medium pot or saucepan and place over medium heat. The butter will begin to melt, crackle, and then eventually foam. Make sure you whisk constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan, this usually happens once it foams. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to turn a golden amber brown color and give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Remove 1 tablespoon of the butter and transfer it to a medium bowl; this will be used for the glaze.
• Prepare the wet ingredients: First, use a cheese grater to shred the zucchini, then place shredded zucchini in a clean dish towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all of the moisture/water. This is very important to get all of the excess moisture out and discard the ‘zucchini water’ first! Next measure out 1 heaping cup (~170g) shredded zucchini; I do not recommend using more than this amount in the cake. In a large bowl, whisk together the shredded zucchini, yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined, smooth, and creamy. (Do not add the butter yet.)
• Prepare the dry ingredients and mix-ins: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to mix until just combined. Finally, gently stir the brown butter into the batter until smooth and well combined. Do not overmix. Lastly, fold the butterscotch chips into the batter.
• Pour batter to the prepared pan and evenly spread. Sprinkle the top with all of the streusel topping.
• Bake the cake: Place cake in the oven until a tester comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before glazing.
• Make the glaze: In the bowl with the 1 tablespoon of reserved brown butter (make sure it is still liquid and hasn’t solidified but if it does just warm in the microwave for 10 seconds or so), add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon milk and stir until well combined. If necessary, add additional milk, ½ teaspoon at a time, to thin out the glaze so you can drizzle it over the cake. Drizzle back and forth over the cake, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cut into 10-12 slices and enjoy it warm with a cup of coffee for a little morning treat!
• To store: Keep the coffee cake covered at room temperature for 1 day, then place it in the fridge covered for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

*To make gluten free: Use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour in place of the all purpose flour.

Toasted Pecan Butterscotch Coffee Cake: Stir in ½ heaping cup chopped toasted pecans to the batter with the butterscotch chips.