This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Courgette, Thyme & Lemon Drizzle cake
Course: Sweet TreatCuisine: BritishDifficulty: EasyServings
6
servingsPrep time
15
minutesCooking time
45
minutesCalories
601
kcalTotal time
1
hourA great combination whilst not losing the delicious lemon drizzle taste, it is very moist and makes the lemon a bit less tart. I baked one cake, and it disappeared in the afternoon!
Ingredients
180g caster sugar
2 lemons
2 courgettes
fresh thyme
3 eggs
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g ground almonds
180g unsalted butter
6 tbsp milk
salt
Directions
- Put your oven on to preheat to 180℃/Gas 4. Line your loaf tin with baking parchment. Remove 2 tbsp of sugar and keep it on one side.
- Zest and juice the lemons. Coarsely grate 200g of courgette. A handful at a time, give the courgette a firm squeeze over the sink to remove some of the excess water. Strip enough thyme leaves from the stalks to give you a generous full.
- Put the butter and remaining sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk them together with half the lemon zest until light, pale and fluffy; this may take 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated.
- Now sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Tip o the courgettes, ground almonds, thyme leaves, a pinch of salt, and the milk. Gently fold everything together, taking care not to overmix it; stop as soon as you stop seeing any dry parts in the mix.
- Scrape the mix into the loaf tin and level it with the back of a spoon. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 mins or until a skewer or knife tip comes out clean. Cover it loosely with foil if it looks like burning on the top before the centre is cooked. Leave to cool in the tin.
- While the cake is cooling but still warm, mix the remaining sugar and lemon zest with the lemon juice. Lightly prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer or knife tip and spoon the sweet juice across the cake. Once completely cooled, serve in generous slices.
Notes
- For the lightest results, you need to bring the wet and dry ingredients together without overmixing. Avoid using an electric mixer for this bit. Use a spatula or wooden spoon instead.
- Instead of laboriously cutting and folding the parchment to line the tin, simply scrunch it into a ball under warm running water – it will become soft and pliant. Lightly grease the tin. Lay the parchment in and use a rolled tea towel to press it into the sides and corners.