Almond, rosemary and courgette cake
SERVES 10
No one will ever guess this wonderfully fluffy and fragrant almond cake is actually packed with veg for a lighter treat. Made with grated courgette, ground almond, with a hint of rosemary and zesty lemon, this pretty cake makes a great dinner party dessert when served with a dollop of whipped ricotta and fresh raspberries.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
300g (about 2 medium-sized) courgettes, trimmed and grated 50ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing 130g ground almonds
70g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
75g light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting 150g raspberries, to serve
250g ricotta, lightly whipped, to serve (optional)
METHOD:
Place the grated courgette in a colander and sprinkle with ½ tsp salt. Toss well, then place over the sink to drain for 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. Grease a 20cm cake tin with olive oil and line the base with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix together the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, pinch of salt and chopped rosemary. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs and lemon zest and juice.
Rinse the courgette to get rid of any excess salt and tip onto a clean tea towel. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can, then tip into the almond bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and stir well to make a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-50 mins until lightly browned on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
If the cake is starting to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a piece of foil. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
To serve, dust with the icing sugar before cutting into slices.
If serving as a dessert, cut into slices and serve with a scattering of raspberries and a dollop of the whipped ricotta.
Tip: The cake (without the raspberries or ricotta) will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or can be frozen for a future occasion. Freeze the cakes only. Bake according to the recipe, but stop before adding decoration. Allow to cool completely. Wrap in clingfilm and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
For more recipe ideas visit: realfood.tesco.com