This Courgette and Orange Cake is simple to prepare and a delicious way to use up any leftover courgettes or a glut of homegrown courgettes. We’ve used a simple orange icing but you could try orange buttercream or cream cheese frosting instead.
Serves 16
Ingredients
Butter for greasing
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp mixed spice
1 ½ oranges, zest only
75g hazelnuts, finely chopped
3 large eggs
300g caster sugar
100ml vegetable oil
85g crème fraîche
225g courgettes, grated with their skin on
55g butter, melted
3 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp grated orange zest
225g icing sugar
Preparation Time 28 minutes, Cooking Time 50 minutes
Method
1. Grease and line a 23cm spring clip tin with baking parchment.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and mixed spice into a bowl, then mix in the orange zest and hazelnuts.
3. Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer and whisk until thick and creamy.
4. Whisk in the oil and crème fraîche.
5. Fold the flour mixture into the eggs with the grated courgettes until evenly combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
7. Place the tin in the oven
CAST IRON OVEN: bake on the grid shelf set on the floor of the baking oven or oven on B4
FAN OVEN: preheated to B4/160 o C/325 o F.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.
8. Place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely.
9. To make the icing; place the butter, orange juice and icing sugar in a bowl and beat together well.
10. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before spreading on the cake. The icing will thicken further as it cools.
11. Allow the icing to set before cutting into slices.
