Courgette, lime, and pineapple cake

This is one of my favourite flavour combinations! My courgette, lime, and pineapple cake is easy peasy to make and super delicious. The flavour combination works beautifully, giving a lightly fruity taste, that works wonderfully with the cream cheese frosting. Don’t be put off by the courgette (AKA zucchini) – you can’t taste it and you get the most amazingly moist cake with it. It’s a bit like carrot cake in its texture. And if you don’t put the cream cheese frosting on it, it’s dairy free.

For two loaf cakes or one 8″ square cake you need:

• 475g flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 420g sugar
• 220ml oil (I’d use vegetable or olive oil)
• 350g grated courgette (about 3-4 courgettes)
• 250g tinned pineapple chunks in juice (or ideally crushed pineapple if you can get it)
• the juice and zest of four limes
• 300g golden raisins (optional)
• 300g chopped walnuts (optional)
• 200g cream cheese
• 300g icing sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 170ºc and grease and line two loaf times with baking parchment.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl and mix until well combined.
3. If you have tinned pineapple chunks (as opposed to crushed), pop it into a bowl with some of the juice and blend using a handheld blender. It doesn’t need to be 100% smooth – just give it a quick blitz so it’s not too chunky.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re frothy, then beat in the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the oil and whisk in.
5. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix the grated courgette, lime juice, lime zest, and pineapple into the mix.
6. Add half the dry mix to the wet mix and stir to combine. Once it’s all incorporated, add the rest of the dry mix and stir to combine until well mixed.
7. If you are adding the walnuts and/or raisins, stir them in now.
8. Carefully pour the mixture into your two tins and pop them in the oven for 50-60 mins. Check them after 45 mins. When they’re cooked, a skewer will come out clean.
9. While they’re baking, make the cream cheese frosting. Whisk together the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth and fluffy.
10. Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once they’re completely cold, frost with the cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy!