Courgette Loaf Cake

A popular home-grown food, courgettes – or zucchini, if that’s your thing – come into abundance around this time of the year, especially as we get closer to autumn. Instead of making plate after plate of ratatouille, or courgette fritters, try something new. Courgette Loaf Cake is an intriguing and delicious way to make use of surplus summer squash – give it a go!

The most important thing to highlight about courgette loaf cake – and vegetable/fruit based cakes in general – is that they don’t taste of their respective “special” ingredients. The number of times friends and colleagues have turned down a slice because they don’t realise this is astounding. Aside from a little added natural sweetness, the main positive of using an ingredient like courgette is an improved texture and moistness. Courgette loaf cake is truly a pleasure to consume.

To me, loaf cakes should turn out a little less sweet than most others. Their shape means they lend themselves exceptionally well to being spread with butter and/or jam. Yes, the recipe contains refined sugar and natural sugars in the form of fruit, but its sweetness isn’t entirely evident. Actually, it’s surprisingly refreshing to enjoy a cake that doesn’t feel as though it’s doing you harm in numerous ways.

For a more decadent version of this courgette cake, check out my recipe for chocolate courgette cake here…

Courgette Loaf Cake

Makes one 2 pound cake

Ingredients:

• 300g self-raising flour
• 325g courgettes, roughly grated
• 150g soft-brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• zest of 1 lemon
• 150g mixed dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, sultanas)
• a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C(fan). Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin and set aside.
2. In a bowl mix together the egg, oil and sugar, followed by the grated courgettes.
3. Combine the flour, spices, zest, fruit and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and tip in the courgette, oil and egg mixture.
4. Stir the ingredients thoroughly until uniform throughout and transfer, carefully, to the prepared tin.
5. Bake your courgette cake for 60-70 minutes, until a knife comes out clean when inserted.

Cost: Courgettes become relatively cheap at this time of year. Of course, they aren’t as inexpensive as carrots, but certainly have their advantages, particularly when it comes to the texture they offer. Either way, at under £3 this courgette loaf cake is certainly worth your time and effort.