Description
Zesty mary berry lemon courgette cake delights with subtle garden freshness. Home bakers appreciate its moist crumb and delicate citrus notes you’ll savor till last delectable crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 large courgette, around 200 g (7 oz), coarsely grated
- 250 g (8.8 oz) self-raising flour
- 200 g (7 oz) caster sugar
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 2 lemons, finely grated zest and juice
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100 g (3.5 oz) pistachios, roughly chopped
- 75 g (2.6 oz) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 356°F (320°F convection), butter and line a 2-pound loaf pan with parchment paper for effortless cake removal.
- Liquid Base Creation: Whisk vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and eggs until the mixture transforms into a pale, creamy emulsion, incorporating lemon zest, lemon juice, and grated zucchini thoroughly.
- Batter Integration: Delicately sift self-rising flour and sodium bicarbonate into the wet ingredients, folding gently to maintain a light, airy texture while ensuring complete ingredient incorporation, then fold in chopped pistachios, reserving some for garnish.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, leveling the surface, and bake for 55-60 minutes until a golden-brown crust forms and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Lemon Drizzle Finishing: Craft a syrupy mixture of lemon zest, lemon juice, and granulated sugar; once cake is removed from oven, perforate surface with toothpick and generously pour drizzle over the hot cake, allowing deep penetration.
- Cooling and Presentation: Let cake cool completely in the pan, transfer to a serving plate, and sprinkle reserved pistachios on top for a delightful textural finish.
Notes
- Zucchini Moisture Management: Squeeze excess water from grated zucchini using a clean kitchen towel to prevent a soggy cake texture and maintain optimal moisture balance.
- Avoid Overmixing Technique: Fold flour gently into wet ingredients using a figure-eight motion to preserve air pockets, ensuring a light, tender crumb structure.
- Precise Baking Indicator: Look for golden-brown edges and a clean skewer test as definitive signs of perfect doneness, preventing underbaking or overbaking.
- Syrup Absorption Trick: Create multiple toothpick holes while cake is hot to maximize lemon drizzle penetration, guaranteeing intense citrus flavor throughout the entire loaf.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 37 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg