Lemon Courgette Cake

In spite of planting the entire plot this year, the only consistent vegetable we're still harvesting at the allotment is courgette. Gold rush, zucchini and romano varieties. We have 8-ish plants total and even though we pick twice a week, they keep growing. It's astonishing.

I eat courgette at least once a day. I even have a recipe for marrow jam I'll be making this weekend just to use it all up.

So I guess it's time for another courgette cake.

I wasn't sure about lemon and cinnamon and after making it, I'm still not sure. There is a disconnect between the two ingredients. It tastes like it should be two different cakes. It's an edible cake and actually, I quite enjoyed it, but perhaps in the future I make either a lemon cake or a courgette cake.

200g grated courgette

150g caster sugar

1 egg

125ml vegetable oil

200g flour (I used half whole-wheat and half plain)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 160F/gas mark 3. Grease a loaf tin

Beat courgette, sugar, egg and oil. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder. Stir in cinnamon and lemon zest.

Stir the dry mix into the wet. Pour into tin. Bake 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

To glaze, mix together 3/4 cup icing sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. If too dry, add a little lemon juice a drop at a time. Glaze while the cake is still warm.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

I never thought twice about the combination of ingredients in this cake and that, perhaps, it might be an unusual idea here in England. I grew up, not with homemade versions of this, but with the idea of poppy seed cake as normal, at least.

So when I decided to make this to take to a baby shower last weekend, I never thought people would look at it apprehensively. And I think I can understand why. In fact, when M went to the store to purchase the bag of poppy seeds for me, the incredibly chatty and friendly man at the till asked him if it was gunpowder.

Armed with my gunpowder spotted bundt cake (which is also not a normal thing in England) I placed my cake on the table along side more normal dishes of caramel shortbread, biscuits and the ever popular English Victoria sponge cake, complete with whipped cream and jam.

I will definitely make this cake again. The batter alone was wonderful, tasting of vanilla ice cream. Not only a delicious cake but presentable and attractive as well.

1 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 cup plain flour

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp lemon zest

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup icing sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

Preheat to 350/gas 4.

Place poppy seeds on baking sheet. Toast in oven for 7-10 minutes.

Coat bundt cake pan. This recipe can also be made as muffins or a sheet cake. Adjust baking times accordingly.

Whisk together dry ingredients including poppy seeds. Whisk together milk, oil, vanilla and lemon in a seperate bowl or jug.

Beat eggs and sugar for about 5 minutes. Fold dry mix into wet a third at a time, alternating with the egg/sugar mix. Pour batter into pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes. Whilst baking, combine icing sugar, lemon and water to make a glaze. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack.

While still warm, poke holes in the cake with a fork. Brush glaze over cake.