This cake blends grated courgette and ground almonds for a moisty and subtly sweet treat with a soft, tender crumb. Serve with a drizzle of honey-lemon glaze for a bright, glossy finish.
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes plus 20 minutes cooling time
- Cooking Time: 1 hour
- Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:
- 75ml vegetable oil
- 175g golden caster sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons + juice of 1
- 100ml plant-based milk (almond milk or alpro)
- 1 teaspoon almond essence
- 100g ground almonds
- 175g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 175g courgettes – coarsely grated
- For the Honey and Lemon Glaze:
100g icing sugar – sifted
- 1–2 tbsp lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey – raw honey is a good option here as it is not used for cooking so retains its nutritional content
Method
- Line a 1kg loaf tin with baking parchment. Pre heat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4.
- Mix wet ingredients: Whisk oil, sugar, and lemon zest and juice until well combined. Add plant-based milk and almond essence; whisk again.
- Add dry ingredients: Stir in ground almonds, flour, and baking powder.
- Fold in courgette: Add grated courgette and mix until just combined.
- Spoon batter into the tin, level the top, and bake for 55–60 minutes, until a skewer inserted should come out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, place the sifted icing sugar into a bowl and stir in lemon juice and honey until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake and let it set for 10–15 minutes.
