
(Slightly soggy) courgette cake

Courgette cake
Based on St Queen Nigella Lawson, ‘How to be a Domestic Goddess’ pp18-19
Ingredients
250g courgettes (2-3) weighed before grating
2 large eggs
125 ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
220g plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
Icing
100g cream cheese
100g unsalted butter OR 200g unsalted butter
500g caster sugar
100g icing sugar
few drops orange essence (no more than 1/4 teaspoon)
Tools
Scales
Box grater
Sieve
Two large mixing bowls
Measuring jug
x2 7 inch round cake tins
Fork
Balloon Whisk
Greaseproof paper
Scissors
Teaspoon
Wire cooling rack
Optional/Helpful
Electric whisk/stand mixer/food processor
Measuring spoons
Time
10 minutes prep
10-20 minutes to mix the cake
30-40 minutes baking
Couple of hours to cool fully
Level
Medium
Prep
Line the bottom of your cake tin with greaseproof paper
Turn the oven to 180C
Grate the courgettes on the chunky side of the box grater – do not use anything
finer because that will make mush. Mmm mush
Turn into a sieve so that any excess water will drip out
Method
Whisk/sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt into a small bowl and set aside
In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and sugar in a bowl until creamy
Sieve in the dry mixture
Stir in grated courgette
Pour mixture in tins
Bake for 30 minutes until browned and firm to the touch
Leave in tins on a rack for 5-10 minutes before turning out then leave on rack to cool completely
Icing
Place cream cheese/butter in a large bowl
Sift over icing sugar
Add orange essence
Beat together
Add milk a tablespoon-full at a time until you have an icing that is thin enough to spread
Combine the cakes
Look at the two cakes. Take the fattest and use it for the bottom
If it’s got a big hill in the middle, take a bread/serrated knife and slice off a little to make it (more or less) flat. Eat that bit (never a leftover & all that)
Take about quarter of the icing and place in the middle of the cake
Use your spatula to spread it out
Pop the next quarter on and add it
Place second cake on top and repeat the icing steps
I am unable to ice a cake neatly so always go with “intentionally messy”
Got a question? Ingredient you need help with? Get in touch:
ann@storrcupboard.com