Name: Chocolate courgette cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 350g self-raising flour; 50g cocoa powder; 1 tsp mixed spice; 175ml extra-virgin olive oil; 375g golden caster sugar; 3 eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 500ml grated courgette (measure by volume in a measuring jug, but it's about 2 medium courgettes; if using 1 overgrown one, peel first and take out seeds); 140g toasted hazelnut roughly chopped; 200g dark chocolate chopped; 100ml double cream

Chocolate courgette cake

Grated courgette gives this cake a lovely moist texture - a great way to use up a glut from your garden

1 hr 10 min total 10 min prep 1 hr cook 10 716 cal

Instructions

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1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt. In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and grated courgette. Mix the dry and wet mixture until just combined, then fold in the toasted hazelnuts. Line a 24cm cake tin with greaseproof paper, then pour in your mixture. Bake for about 40-50 mins, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
2 To make the icing, place the chocolate in a bowl and bring cream to the boil in a saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until completely smooth and melted. Leave the icing to cool slightly and thicken, then spread it over the cake so it’s covered and the icing starts to drip down the sides. Serve with a cup of tea or enjoy as a pud with a spoonful of something creamy.