Chocolate Courgette Cake Recipe
Our next recipe features a lovely autumn bake showcasing homegrown ingredients such as courgette. Courgette which is also known as zucchini, is such a wonderfully versatile vegetable. It has a mild flavour and high water content, which makes it perfect for baking as it adds plenty of moisture without overpowering the other ingredients.
This chocolate courgette cake is one of those recipes that feels right for the season ie rich and chocolatey, wonderfully moist and a great way to make use of an unexpected glut from the garden. And while courgette might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to cake, it works surprisingly well with chocolate.
Once baked, you don’t really taste the vegetable itself, instead, it helps create a soft, tender crumb that keeps the cake deliciously moist.
The courgette used in this cake was actually given to me by a friend who had grown it herself. There’s something special about cooking with homegrown produce, particularly when it arrives in your kitchen as a generous gift. And if you’ve ever grown courgettes yourself, you’ll know just how productive a single plant can be!
I love courgette and often bake them as accompaniment with my Sunday roasts but decided that this time that I was going to bake a cake with it. I roped in my daughter to help bake this lovely moist chocolate cake. This cake is perfect with a cup of tea, whether you’re enjoying a quiet afternoon at home or sharing a slice with friends.
So, if you have a courgette or two lingering in the kitchen as the season ends… particularly a homegrown one then why not turn it into something sweet? I’ve adapted this recipe from Sainsburys.
Ingredients for Chocolate Courgette Cake
For the cake
4 medium eggs, beaten
150ml vegetable oil
130ml semi-skimmed milk
300g light brown soft sugar (I have used castor sugar as I did not have light brown sugar at home)
350g plain flour
75g cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
400g courgettes
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g icing sugar
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment.
Step 2
Whisk together the eggs, oil and milk. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl, then fold into the wet mixture. Finely grate the courgettes and stir into the mixture along with 1 tsp vanilla extract. Spoon into the baking tray and bake for 40 minutes, then leave to cool.
Step 3
For the icing, beat the butter, vanilla extract and 250g icing sugar in a bowl. Spread the icing over the top of the cooled cake and finish with a dusting of cocoa. Cut into slices, remove from the tray and serve.
Note: The icing is on the thicker side, you can add 1/2 to 1 tbsp of milk if you want a thinner icing. I have also sprinkled some cocoa powder on the icing to make the cake look the part.
You may want to also read this:
Pear & Raspberry Cake Recipe : An Easy Autumn Bake
Recipe Book Review : Dairy Diary ‘s Four Seasons
Afternoon Tea Cake Recipe : Devil’s Food Cake
