Brown Butter Zucchini Coffee Cake

I almost gave up on this brown butter zucchini coffee cake recipe after spilling the precious browned butter all over my counter. I figured it would be worth the effort to start over, and I am so glad I did! We loved the brown butter flavor, and the cinnamon glaze on top made this coffee cake extra special. This easy zucchini cake recipe was enjoyed and devoured by four kids staying at my house, and they all asked for seconds–I’d say they liked it.

Brown Butter Zucchini Coffee Cake

Cake:

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped
• 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini, about 2 large

Brown Butter Streusel Topping:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of ground cinnamon to taste

How to Make a Brown Butter Zucchini Coffee Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Brown the butter by heating the 8 tablespoons of butter for the cake in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown. Be careful not to burn the butter! Pour browned butter into a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In the same small saucepan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter for the streusel topping over medium heat.  Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown. Be careful not to burn the butter! Pour browned butter into a separate small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Make the cake by combining the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl; mix well.

Split the vanilla bean pod in half with a knife. Using the back of the knife, scrape the inside of the vanilla bean pod to remove the seeds.

Combine the cooled browned butter for the cake (8 tablespoons) with the Greek yogurt, egg, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds; mix until well combined.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. It will be very thick! Add a couple of tablespoons of milk if needed. Add the zucchini and stir until combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.

Make the streusel by combining the remaining 4 tablespoons of cooled brown butter with the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake by placing it into the oven and baking it for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

Make the cinnamon glaze by combining the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon; stir until well combined.

Drizzle over the cooled zucchini coffee cake. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

Brown Butter Zucchini Coffee Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cooling Time:: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 - 16

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• 9 x 13-inch Baking Dish
• Small Saucepan

Ingredients

Cake:

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• 1 vanilla bean split & seeds scraped
• 1 ½ cups shredded zucchini about 2 large

Brown Butter Streusel Topping:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of ground cinnamon to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Brown the butter by heating the 8 tablespoons of butter for the cake in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown. Be careful not to burn the butter! Pour browned butter into a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• In the same small saucepan, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter for the streusel topping over medium heat.  Cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown. Be careful not to burn the butter! Pour browned butter into a separate small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Make the cake by combining the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl; mix well.
• Split the vanilla bean pod in half with a knife. Using the back of the knife, scrape the inside of the vanilla bean pod to remove the seeds.
• Combine the cooled browned butter for the cake (8 tablespoons) with the Greek yogurt, egg, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds; mix until well combined.
• Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. It will be very thick! Add a couple of tablespoons of milk if needed. Add the zucchini and stir until combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Make the streusel by combining the remaining 4 tablespoons of cooled brown butter with the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the cake.
• Bake the cake by placing it into the oven and baking it for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
• Make the cinnamon glaze by combining the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon; stir until well combined.
• Drizzle over the cooled zucchini coffee cake. Slice and serve. Enjoy!

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Lagostina Giveaway Winner:

I am excited to announce that the winner of my giveaway for a piece of the Lagostina Luminosa Stainless Steel 11-Piece Cookware Set is a long-time reader. We have been reading each other’s blogs since the beginning, back in 2008!

The winner is comment no.: 89 – Grace from A Southern Grace!!

GRACE SAYS:

Yay Grace! Send me an e-mail at [email protected] with the name of the one cookware piece you would like from the collection, if it’s different from what you said in your comment, along with your mailing address so Lagostina can mail you your new cookware! CONGRATULATIONS Grace!!!!