Courgettes in chocolate cake. I know. It’s weird. In fact, my children think it’s a frankly horrific suggestion.
So I didn’t tell them.
And the echoes of joy as the experience of this moist, dense, rich-yet-light chocolate cake hit their brains was enough to tell that hiding green vegetables in delicious cake can only ever be a Very Good Thing.
This is by far and away the very best chocolate cake I have EVER made. Ever.
Seriously.
And it’s so dead simple to make, too.
Go on, try it – you’ll never regret it.
And just trust me on the courgette thing.
What you need:
- 250g Plain Flour
- 375g Caster Sugar (though I frequently use granulated, which works just fine)
- 65g cocoa powder (the better the cocoa, the better your cake)
- 2tsp bicarb of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 4 eggs
- 350ml melted butter (vegetable oil is easier, and works perfectly, I just prefer butter)
- 400g courgettes (usually two; I just use up all of the two as long as they’re approx the right weight), grated.
- optional – 90g chopped nuts. Walnuts and hazelnuts are equally as delicious, but if you don’t have any it works beautifully without as well.
What You Do:
- Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and either line or flour a 20x30cm baking tin (I use a small roasting tin).
- In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, bicarb & baking soda, salt and spices. Mix well.
- In a measuring jug melt your butter (or simply measure your veg oil), then add the eggs and beat with a fork to combine.
- Add the eggs/oil mix to the dry ingredients, and beat until well mixed.
- Add the grated courgettes (and the nuts if using) and fold in well until the whole mix is combined, gloopy and very very chocolatey-looking.
- Pour the mix into the prepared tin, and bake for 50 minutes (check it doesn’t need an extra 10 minutes; 50 is plenty for a fan oven)
- Leave to stand for ten minutes, run a spatula around the edges to loosen the sides, then tip onto a cooling tray.
- You can ice at this stage, but we find it’s perfect without.
- Slice into squares (makes 24), and store in a tin (delicious with morning coffee, afternoon tea… or in bowls with custard on top…)
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