Name: Courgette & orange cake with cream cheese frosting
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 slices
Ingredients: 350g courgettes (no need to peel them); 200g soft brown sugar; 125ml sunflower oil; 3 large eggs lightly beaten; grated zest 1 orange; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 100g sultanas; 300g self raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 200g full-fat cream cheese; 100g icing sugar sifted; good grating of orange zest

Courgette & orange cake with cream cheese frosting

For the cake

350g courgettes
(no need to peel them)
200g soft brown sugar
125ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs
lightly beaten
grated zest 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g sultanas
300g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

for the frosting

200g full-fat cream cheese
100g icing sugar
sifted
good grating of orange zest

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly oil and line a 1kg loaf tin with a strip of baking parchment. Finely grate the courgettes, then squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands (too much will make the cake soggy).
step 2
Stir the courgettes with the sugar, sunflower oil, eggs, orange zest, vanilla and sultanas, then fold in the flour and baking powder until they disappear, but don’t overmix.
step 3
Scrape the mixture into the tin and bake for 50 mins until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
step 4
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar (don’t overbeat as this can make the mixture too soft), then chill. Spread over the cooled cake, scatter with the zest and chill until ready to serve. Will keep for a week in the fridge.