A wonderfully moist cake that is one of the best ways to use up a summer glut of courgettes from your plot. The lime and cream cheese icing gives it a fresh, zesty finish that makes it popular at our plant sales and community events here at Burley Model Allotments in Leeds LS4. It keeps well in the fridge for up to four days — if it lasts that long.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 oz raisins
- 8 oz courgette, grated and drained
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ pint sunflower oil
- 5 oz caster sugar
- 8 oz self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Grated rind of one lime
For the icing:
- 7 oz cream cheese
- 4 oz icing sugar
- Juice of one lime
- Flaked almonds or chopped pistachio nuts to decorate
Method
- Grate the lime rind finely and set aside. Grate the courgettes on the coarse side of your grater, place in a sieve and leave to drain.
- Preheat oven to gas mark 4 (180°C / 350°F). Line a 9 inch cake tin with baking parchment.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
- Add the oil and eggs and beat thoroughly until smooth.
- Stir in the raisins, grated lime rind and drained courgettes and pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes until lightly golden and firm to the touch.
- Leave in the tin for a few minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, beat the cream cheese until smooth then beat in the icing sugar. Stir in the lime juice.
- Spread over the cooled cake and scatter with flaked almonds or chopped pistachios.
Plot holder tip
Don't be tempted to skip draining the grated courgette — removing the excess moisture is the key to getting a good rise and stopping the cake from becoming soggy in the middle. A clean tea towel works even better than a sieve for squeezing out the liquid.
About this recipe
This recipe comes from the community at Burley Model Allotments, established in 1892 and located at Lumley Place, Burley, Leeds LS4 2NL. Courgettes are one of the most generous crops on an allotment plot — a single plant can produce more than most households can eat fresh, making recipes like this one essential