I know what you're thinking, courgettes in a cake? Say what?! It sounds bizarre at first, but they actually work really well at ensuring that you end up with a soft and moist cake. This is a lighter, slightly healthier take on the traditional Lemon Drizzle Cake with less sugar and fat, yet still packed full of flavour.
When I was at high school, there used to be a little Tuck Shop on site that sold all manner of sweet and savoury treats, most of which were handmade by either the dinner ladies or the parents/grandparents of students. Fridays were known as 'Cake Days', and I always looked forward to seeing what was available as the menu changed every week. One of my favourites was Lemon Drizzle Cake and to this day, I still love the soft, sweet flavour with its tangy and often sickly glaze.
I've been attempting to make a 'healthier' Lemon Drizzle Cake for a while now, but truthfully, the recipes that I tried just didn't hit the spot. Sometimes the only option is to just use less fat and sugar, rather than trying to omit them altogether, and after some tweaking here and there, I'm finally happy with the end result!
Oh, and for those who are wondering, you can't actually taste the courgettes in this cake - they simply add extra moisture and bulk (plus a little soluble fibre), which means that you don't need to use so much butter - win-win!
- 280g Self-Raising Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 3 free-range & organic Eggs
- 100g organic Butter
- 75g Coconut Sugar
- 250g Courgettes
- Zest of 2 unwaxed Lemons
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Salt
For the Glaze (optional):
- 30g Coconut Sugar
- Juice of 2 Lemons
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4 and lightly grease a loaf tin with a little oil, butter or use baking parchment paper.
- On a clean work surface, lay out a towel and finely grate the Courgettes onto it. Once done, carefully wrap up the towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible over the sink to avoid a soggy cake.
- Melt the Butter in a saucepan and then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the Coconut Sugar, grated Courgettes, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract and Eggs and mix together until thoroughly combined.
- Next, gently fold in the sifted Self-Raising Flour, Baking Powder and a pinch of Salt, making sure that you don't overmix it as this can lead to a heavier/denser cake so use a light hand.
- Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool before adding the glaze if using.
- To make the glaze, simply mix the Coconut Sugar with the Lemon Juice in a small bowl and then carefully pour it over the cake. Wait at least 10 minutes to allow the glaze to 'infuse' the cake, then cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!
Storage tip: Keep the cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days, though it's best eaten within 48 hours.
What are you making this weekend?
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment! For a faster reply you can tweet me @beautywolfgirl