Elderflower and courgette cake
Serves: 12-14
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
Elderflower and courgette cake
Recipe by Sarah Cook
Leftover courgettes are ideal for this moist, fragrant sponge. See our tip to make it gluten-free
Serves: 12-14
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
421Kcal
Fat
20gr
Saturates
12gr
Carbs
53gr
Sugars
33gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.3gr
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
Sarah Cook
Sarah, a former food editor, has now been writing and styling recipes for over 10 years. Born in NZ, to Irish-English immigrants, and married to a Polish-Scot, her food is as diverse as her family, with a particular passion for baking mash-ups.
Ingredients
- 250g soft unsalted butter
- 250g golden or regular caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest and juice of 2 large lemons (you need 4 tbsp)
- 5 tbsp elderflower cordial
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 5 large eggs
- 150g courgettes (about 1-2 small ones, see tip), grated
- 25g icing sugar, sifted
- 75g granulated sugar
Step by step
Get ahead
Freeze the sponge in the tin for up to a month – just add the syrup after defrosting. The cake keeps in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
- Beat together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract, half the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of elderflower cordial. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into another bowl. Beat the eggs into the creamed mixture, one-by-one, adding a spoonful of the flour if the batter begins to look curdled, then mix in the rest of the flour.
- Fold in the grated courgette. Scrape into the prepared tin, level the top and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes-1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer onto a wire rack set over a tray or plate and use the testing skewer to poke holes across the top of the cake.
-
Mix together the remaining lemon juice and lemon zest with the rest of the cordial. Quickly mix in the icing sugar and all but 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, and spoon the sugary syrup all over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the reserved granulated sugar over the top and leave the cake to cool entirely.TipSmaller, thinner courgettes work better for baking as they’re less watery – or remove the seedy core on larger ones.
Make it gluten free
Use gluten-free flour and baking powder, adding 1⁄4 tsp of xanthan gum with the dry ingredients.
