Topped with a tangy lime cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with crunchy pistachios, this cake is perfect for tea-time treats or special occasions. A delightful twist on traditional citrus cakes, Courgette & Lime Cake incorporates grated courgette (zucchini) for added moisture and texture.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 200g light brown soft sugar
- 200ml vegetable or sunflower oil, plus extra to grease the tin
- 4 eggs
- 175g self-raising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 75g shelled pistachios, ground
- 1 medium courgette (about 150g), grated
- Zest of 2 limes
- Juice of 2 limes
For the icing and decoration:
- 275g soft cheese (cream cheese), at room temperature
- 100g powdered sugar
- Peel of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lime
- 25g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper and lightly brush the paper with vegetable or sunflower oil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the light brown soft sugar and vegetable or sunflower oil until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
Sift in the self-raising flour and baking powder. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
Fold in the ground pistachios, grated courgette, lime zest and lime juice until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread evenly with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake cools, prepare the icing. In a bowl, beat the soft cheese (cream cheese) until smooth.
Gradually sift in the icing sugar and beat until well combined and smooth.
Add the lime zest and lime juice and mix until completely incorporated.
When the cake has cooled completely, spread the lime cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake using a spatula or palette knife.
Sprinkle the coarsely chopped pistachios over the frosting and spread evenly over the cake.
Slice and serve the delicious Courgette & Lime Cake, garnished with extra lime zest or additional pistachios if desired.
