Courgette and Orange Cake

Courgette and Orange Cake

Serves 16

Ingredients

  • Butter for greasing
  • 300g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp mixed spice
  • 1 ½ oranges, zest only
  • 75g hazelnuts, finely chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • 85g crème fraîche
  • 225g courgettes, grated with their skin on
  • 55g butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 tsp grated orange zest
  • 225g icing sugar

Preparation Time 28 minutes, Cooking Time 50 minutes

Method

  1. Grease and line a 23cm spring clip tin with baking parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and mixed spice into a bowl, then mix in the orange zest and hazelnuts.
  3. Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer and whisk until thick and creamy.
  4. Whisk in the oil and crème fraîche.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the eggs with the grated courgettes until evenly combined.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
  7. Place the tin in the oven

CAST IRON OVEN: bake on the grid shelf set on the floor of the baking oven or oven on B4

FAN OVEN: preheated to B4/160 o C/325 o F.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.

  1. Place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely.
  2. To make the icing; place the butter, orange juice and icing sugar in a bowl and beat together well.
  3. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before spreading on the cake. The icing will thicken further as it cools.
  4. Allow the icing to set before cutting into slices.
All recipes