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Chocolate courgette cake

By Celia Brooks Brown

Grated courgette gives this cake a lovely moist texture – a great way to use up a glut from your garden

Prep:10 mins
Cook:1 hrs

Serves 10
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 716
fat 40g
saturates 10g
carbs 84g
sugars 55g
fibre 4g
protein 10g
salt 0.43g

Ingredients

350g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp mixed spice
175ml extra-virgin olive oil
375g golden caster sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
500ml grated courgettes (measure by volume in a measuring jug, but it's about 2 medium courgettes; if using 1 overgrown one, peel first and take out seeds)
140g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
200g dark chocolate, chopped
100ml double cream

Tip

Baking with courgettes
Courgettes can hold quite a lot of water, which can affect the finished texture of your cake. If your grated courgettes seem watery, place them into a clean cloth and wring out some of the liquid into a bowl. Then add the courgettes to the cake mixture as normal. The timing for cakes containing courgette can depend on the water content of your courgettes, so return the cake to the oven for another 10 mins if it needs it. Simply test with a skewer and make sure it comes out clean.

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and grated courgette. Mix the dry and wet mixture until just combined, then fold in the toasted hazelnuts. Line a 24cm cake tin with greaseproof paper, then pour in your mixture. Bake for about 40-50 mins, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
To make the icing, place the chocolate in a bowl and bring cream to the boil in a saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until completely smooth and melted. Leave the icing to cool slightly and thicken, then spread it over the cake so it’s covered and the icing starts to drip down the sides. Serve with a cup of tea or enjoy as a pud with a spoonful of something creamy.