Courgettes are growning like crazy at the this time of year and whether you grow your own, or like me, you have a neighbour who kindly leaves them on the doorstep, I am always needing to find new and interesting ways to enjoy them. This courgette, lemon and pistachio cake recipe is a real winner. It is totally delicious and a big hit with the family and in the office. I promise it doesn’t taste of courgettes, they just make it super moist and extra delicious, so why not give it a go?
This recipe is courtesy of Sarah Cook.
Ingredients
- 175g shelled pistachios
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 200g butter
- 280g plain flour
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- 1¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3 large eggs
- 140g Greek-style, full-fat yogurt
- zest and juice 3 lemons
- 140g coarsely grated courgette
- 175g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon curd (optional)
Method
- STEP 1
Put 150g of the pistachios and the sugar in a food processor and blend together until the nuts are very finely ground.
- STEP 2
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, grease a 20 x 30cm cake tin and line the base with baking parchment, or grease with butter or oil. Tip the pistachio sugar into a big mixing bowl with the butter, flour, baking powder and bicarb, eggs, yogurt and the zest and juice from 2 of the lemons. Beat with an electric whisk (if you have one) until the mixture is smooth and combined.
- STEP 3
Stir in the grated courgette until everything is well mixed, then scrape into the prepared tin. Bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is risen and golden, and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool.
- STEP 4
When the cake has fully cooled, remove from the tin and peel off the baking parchment. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, and gradually stir in enough lemon juice to get a slightly runny consistency. If you run out of juice, water can be added instead. Drizzle thickly over the cake, and repeat with lemon curd, if using. Roughly chop the remaining pistachios and sprinkle them over the icing, along with the remaining lemon zest. Leave to set for 10 mins, then cut into squares and serve with Greek yogurt.
