Courgette and Poppy Seed Loaf

5 from 8 votes

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

Course Baking

Cuisine British

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 268kcal

Preheat the oven to 180℃/160℃ fan/350℉/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.
200 g courgettes
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.
125 g unsalted butter, 125 g caster sugar (superfine sugar), 2 large free-range eggs
Beat in the courgette, lemon juice and zest.
2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest
Sift in the flour and add the poppy seeds. Mix gently to combine.
175 g self-raising flour
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.

Gently heat the lemon juice in a small saucepan. Remove it from the heat, add the lavender and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
3 tbsp lemon juice, 1.5 tsp culinary lavender
Over a bowl, strain the lavender out of the lemon juice. Beat the cooled infused lemon juice with the icing sugar until smooth.
125 g icing sugar
Drizzle over the completely cooled cake and decorate with lavender and lemon.
1 tsp culinary lavender, twists of lemon