Courgette Cake Recipe

Here we have a couple of fine courgettes harvested from the tiniest vegetable patch in the world - our back garden.

I haven't been a lover of the courgette in the past - but it is such an easy crop to grow, and so many summer recipes are livened up by the wee fellie that I am becoming less averse.

The very best thing I have discovered is that you can make cake from courgettes :o)

The lovely Nigella Lawson includes a courgette cake recipe in her How to be a Domestic Goddess book, and its probably the recipe I most often replicate from that particular culinary collection.

The end result is something like carrot cake, and you've absolutely no idea you're stuffing vegetables down your gob!

Here is the last slice of my latest creation in all its glory (tho not a particularly good photo, I will admit - Motorola v3i camera phone in kitchen at night in the dark).

I'm eating it right now with some organic Moroccan mint tea, and its just delicious. I know its too late to eat cake, but I can't take photos of it, write about it and put it back in the fridge - could you?

So, for those of you inspired to make cakes from vegetables, here is the recipe:

Courgette Cake

large handful sultanas
2 medium - large courgettes, grated using course side of box grater
2 large eggs
125ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 sandwich tins, greased & lined

filling - good quality lemon curd (I use Duchy Originals) with some lime juice to taste

icing:
200g tub organic cream cheese
100g icing sugar, sieved
juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 180 C
Grate courgettes.
Combine eggs, oil and sugar in bowl.
Sieve in flour, bicarb and baking powder and beat until well combined.
Stir in courgette and sultanas.
Pour into tins and bake for 30 minutes until slightly browned and firm to touch.
Once cool, sandwich with lemon curd in middle.
cream cheese icing on top - firm in fridge if preferred.

serves 8 people - or 2 people 4 times over :o)

From Nigella's book:

Comments

[Judith Johnson]

I tried this recipe using 2 courgettes I had been given. Trouble was the recipe didn't state how big the courgettes should be. My cake turned out quite soggy so I guess my courgettes were too big. I think recipes like this should give the weight of the veg to be used.

[Organikal]

@keeley - I bet your mom loved it for sure. I just wish someone would make it for me :o)

[keeley martin]

i have made this cake it was great and i am only 12 and i did it all by my self for my mom she loves it