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.
