Chocolate Courgette Cake

Some people call them zucchini. Some call them courgettes, when they get big they are marrows.  Whatever you call them it's that time of the season when everyone who has even one squash plant now has a glut of fruit. 

No matter how you try, you can't eat them fast enough and they JUST KEEP COMING!  Here's a recipe we used to make in the States where zucchini would take over the world if you give them half a chance. 

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE 

Preheat the oven to 350F/170C.  Butter and flour a square cake pan and set it to one side while you make the cake batter.

1 cup plain all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 medium eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup grated courgette (aka zucchini or marrow)

Place all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir them with a large spoon to combine them.  Add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and grated courgette and stir until all of the ingredients are well combined.  Do not overmix .... this batter doesn't need to be beaten.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.  Leave the cake in the tin to cool.  

Now, you can simply sprinkle some icing sugar over the cake and serve it or you can add this simple but delicious chocolate icing. 

CHOCOLATE ICING

1 ounce butter

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1-2 Tablespoons milk

100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) icing sugar

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.  Add the cocoa powder and cook over low heat for about a minute.  Remove from the heat, stir in the milk.  Add the icing sugar and beat with a spoon until the icing is smooth and glossy.  Pour the warm icing over the cake and gently smooth it out to the edges of the cake. When the icing has set a bit you are ready to serve.  

I suppose there are worse problems than having too many zucchini...especially when you can have CAKE!