Courgette and Poppy Seed Loaf Cake from Veggie Desserts + Cakes

Summer is the time we might have gluts of vegetables from the garden or allotment (or even just in the fridge) to use up and we start to get really creative in how to incorporate them into our food. Baking with courgettes might be unusual but it is an excellent way to include more veggies in your diet! The excellent debut book from my blogging friend Kate Hackworthy from the blog Veggie Desserts, called Veggie Desserts + Cakes, has recipes for baking cake, brownies and other baking treats all featuring vegetables!

Kale and apple cake, pea and vanilla cake, cucumber and lemon cake (with gin icing!), carrot gingerbread, spinach and strawberry Swiss roll and carrot meringue pie are just some examples of recipes you’ll find in Kate’s book. I decided to try out the recipe for courgette and poppy seed loaf cake as I absolutely love courgettes (or zucchini) and have never baked with them!

Would you be able to tell there was courgette in this tasty cake do you think? Including vegetables in baking recipes is a great way to add goodness and nutrients as well as to enhance the flavour of course. You’ll be astounded by the amazing recipes you’ll find in Veggie Desserts + Cakes, I mean how about sweetcorn cookies with blackberry glaze or spiced butternut squash muffins!

Now, Kate’s recipe includes a lavender and lemon glaze, but as I didn’t have any culinary lavender to hand I just used a lemon glaze instead. My taste testers (kids) wolfed this down and really enjoyed the flavours. They leave all trace of courgettes when I serve them to them usually so this was a great bonus!

Even before adding the icing the recipe produces a delicious loaf cake, with just a few small hints from flecks of colour you can spot within to indicate there is something a bit out of the ordinary in here. Making vegetables the star of the show is something Kate’s excels at, and the delicious recipes in her book show this to a tee.

I’ve loved looking through all the recipes and have plans to try the pea and mint cupcakes with rose water buttercream and spinach and almond shortbread very soon. I’d recommend you get this book (out now, published by Pavilion, available from Amazon at £14.99) if you want to try something new in your baking.

I’m very pleased to say that I have been given permission to share the recipe for the courgette and poppy seed loaf cake with you. Read on for the recipe and make sure you order your copy of Veggie Desserts + Cakes to enjoy all the other recipes!

Courgette and poppy seed loaf with lavender glaze

A delicious cake made with courgette or zucchini, from Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kate Hackworthy

5 from 6 votes

Print Rate

Course: Baking

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Author: Kate Hackworthy

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200 g courgettes
• 125 g unsalted butter softened
• 125 g caster sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 175 g self-raising flour

For the lavender glaze

• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp culinary lavender
• 125 g icing sugar

To decorate (optional)

• 1 tsp culinary lavender
• twists of lemon

Instructions

To make the cake

• Preheat the oven to 180 C/160 fan/350 F/gas 4. Lightly grease and line a 1 kg/2 lb 4 oz loaf pan.
• Leave the skin on the courgette and grate it coarsely. In a clean tea towel, squeeze the moisture from the courgette and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beating each one in well.
• Beat in the courgette, lemon juice and zest.
• Sift in the flour and add the poppy seed. Mix gently to combine.
• Pour into the prepared pan, level to the edges and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the lavender glaze

• Gently heat the lemon juice in a small saucepan. Remove it from the heat, add the lavender and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
• Over a bowl, strain the lavender out of the lemon juice. Beat the cooled infused lemon juice with the icing sugar until smooth.
• Drizzle over the completely cooled cake and decorate with lavender and lemon.

Tried this recipe?Tag me @bakingqueen74 or use hashtag #bakingqueen74!

For more reviews of Veggie Desserts + Cakes and for a sneak peek of some more recipes shared from the book also check out:

• Kale and apple cake and the Veggie Desserts cookbook by Tin and Thyme
• Pumpkin cupcakes with avocado icing {Veggie Cakes + Desserts by Kate Hackworthy} by United Cakedom
• Carrot Gingerbread from Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kate Hackworthy by Ren Behan
• Avocado lime tarts + cookbook giveaway by The Veg Space
• Carrot Gingerbread – Veggie Desserts by Farmersgirl Kitchen
• Beetroot and vanilla sorbet by Natural Kitchen Adventures
• Cavolo Nero and Orange Cupcakes from Veggie Desserts by The Hedgecombers
• Chocolate cauliflower ice lollies {vegan and veggie desserts + cakes cookbook review} by Recipes From a Pantry
• Courgette and poppyseed loaf from Veggie desserts + cakes by Kate Hackworthy – book review by Family Friends Food
• Kate Hackworthy’s Veggie Desserts + Cakes by Kavey Eats 
• Pea and vanilla cake with lemon icing from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
• Kale and apple cake with apple icing from Kellie’s Food To Glow  
• Spinach and strawberry Swiss roll – Veggie Desserts from Foodie Quine 

Pin this courgette and poppyseed loaf cake from Veggie Desserts for later!

Disclosure: post contains affiliate links. I received a complimentary copy of the book to review, but all opinions are my own.