Salted Butterscotch Zucchini Coffee Cake
User Reviews
5
Salted Butterscotch Zucchini Coffee Cake
Description
This coffee cake begins with a streusel made from flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted salted butter formed into crumbly clumps. The batter includes salted butter browned to a golden amber, grated zucchini, Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla), pure maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Dry ingredients like flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt are incorporated along with butterscotch chips for pockets of sweet chewiness.
The batter is poured into a prepared 9-inch pan lined with parchment or sprayed, topped with the chilled streusel, and baked until set. Once cooled, a glaze made from brown butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk is drizzled over the cake and finished with flaky sea salt, enhancing the butterscotch notes and adding a contrasting seasoning.
This cake is suitable for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, bringing moist crumb and gentle spice together with the natural moisture from zucchini. Variations include a gluten-free flour substitute or folding in toasted pecans to the batter for added crunch.
Overall, the balance of maple sweetness, cinnamon spice, and salted butterscotch is central, with the zucchini ensuring moistness and a tender texture.
Ingredients
- Streusel:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120g
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed, 107g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter salted, melted, 70g
- Wet Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup butter salted, 75g
- 1 zucchini medium to large
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain or vanilla whole-milk, 112g, use vanilla if you want a sweeter cake
- ½ cup pure maple syrup 156g
- 2 egg large, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Dry ingredients and Mix-ins:
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour 210g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 butterscotch chips heaping cup, 180g
- For the brown butter glaze:
- 1 tablespoon brown butter reserved
- ½ cup powdered sugar 52g
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons milk of choice, to thin glaze
- sea salt flaky; 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.
Notes
- To make the cake gluten-free, substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- For a variation, fold in ½ heaping cup of chopped toasted pecans with the butterscotch chips to add texture and nutty flavor.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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