Courgette Pistachio and Lime Cake

Aug 29, 2022

Here’s a special call out – and suggestion – to any veggie gardeners out there, currently knee deep in courgettes, who are wondering what an earth to do with them all.

PUT THEM IN A CAKE!

Did you know that courgettes are the Prince Charming of cake ingredients? They bring such a lovely lightness and joy to a cake sponge, it could almost float away. Which surely makes this spicey limey nutty creamy work of art, a perfect Summer afternoon sweet treat to get your gnashers round.

FOR THE CAKE
4 eggs
5 tbsp granulated alternative natural sweetener (see options below)*
70g butter
250g grated courgette
250g almond flour
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp ground cardamon
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

FOR THE ICING
250g mascarpone cheese
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp lime juice
3 tsp milled granulated alternative natural sweetener (see options below)*
2 handfuls of finely chopped/bashed pistachios

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/ 180C/350F
Grate the courgette and squeeze off excess liquid.
Whisk the eggs, sweetener, vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
Add melted butter and whisk to blend well.
Stir in the grated courgette.
In a separate bowl add almond flour, baking powder and cardamon and salt.  Mix well together.
Blend into the egg mixture and turn the cake batter out into a baking paper lined cake tin. (I used a 23cm square tin).
Cook for 30 minutes. Check to see if its cooked by entering a knife or skewer into the centre of the cake. If it's cooked, it should come out clean.
If not, cook a little longer 5 – 10 minutes at a time until its done.
Let the cake sit in the tin for 5 minutes and then lift out onto a wire tray to cool.

For the icing
Blend the ingredients thoroughly together. Spread generously onto the cake when its cool.
Put the pistachio nuts into a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until they're finely crushed. 
Scatter over the top of the cake.


Store the cake in the fridge.

*Granulated natural sweetener options could include xylitol, erythritol, allulose. See Alternative Sweeteners page for more info. Each will have slightly different levels of sweetness. Adjust to taste.

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