Wednesday 20 July 2016

Cake For Breakfast...

Despite the dog's attempts at picking all my vegetables I am still managing to be over run with courgettes! Every year is the same and you would think I would learn that two plants is quite enough... but no!


So faced with a glut of courgettes and given that one of the choices for this month's Cake Slice Bakers was a "Zucchini Loaf from Seattle" there was no contest really. One of the other cakes this month was an extravagant Black and White Layer Cake consisting of six layers of two different types of cake plus buttercream which just seemed like too much effort without the excuse of a special occasion, but the other two choices - A Sour Cream Coffee Cake with  cinnamon and nut topping and a Blueberry Surprise Cake both sounded very tempting. All cakes are taken from Maida Heatter's Cakes


But no... the cougettes needed using up so the zucchini cake it was. It was a really simple cake to put together and although the batter seems very dry and thick, by the time the grated courgettes are thoroughly mixed in the batter becomes much more manageable.


I found the mixture was two much for one of my regular sized loaf pans so filled two instead. Details of sizes etc. are in the recipe below.


The smell in the kitchen while they were baking was just amazing but then I find anything with cinnamon has that effect. And the resulting loaves were well risen, crusty and brown... with no traces of green courgette!


Probably unnecessary but I added a simple glace icing and some walnuts just to pimp it up a little bit as one of these cakes is probably destined for the farm shop this week.


But obviously the other one had to be sampled for the sake of this post!


So I confess... I have had a slice for breakfast this morning. But it is so full of courgettes and walnuts it is practically a health food isn't it? It's not like I just had buttercream for breakfast, which has been known! Just don't remind me when I complain I can't shift the weight gained since breaking my ankle.

It is a delicious cake full of moisture and flavour and I would definitely make it again. In fact there are so many courgettes I might even make another couple of these today to go in the freezer.


And should you wish to try this yourself (I can definitely recommend it) here is my version of the recipe:
Zucchini Loaf From Seattle (adapted from Maida Heatter's Cakes)
You will need one large loaf tin (10" x 5" x 3") or two smaller tins - mine were approximately 8" x 4" x 3" (20cm x 10cm x 7cm) , lined or buttered well and dusted with  breadcrumbs. (See method here )

Ingredients:
  • 420g sifted plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
  • 450g coursely grated courgettes (zucchini) I used four cougettes but do weigh them as sizes do vary!
  • 220g  vegetable oil
  • 400g caster sugar
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 112g walnut pieces
Method:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 deg F, 180 deg C, 160 deg fan.
  • Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, gently beat the eggs to break them up and add the vanilla, oil and sugar mixing well to combine
  • Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix well.
  • Stir in the grated courgette until thoroughly mixed and then fold in the walnuts
  • Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for about an hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. (If you are making one cake Maida says to bake for and hour and 45 minutes which seems a long time so keep an eye on it!)
  • Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the tin for about ten minutes before turning out to cool on a rack.
  • Once cool add a simple glace icing (125g icing sugar plus 1 tablespoon warm water makes enough for one cake) and some walnut halves... this is entirely optional!

   

   

31 comments:

  1. Definitely considered breakfast! Lovely choice this month Gina! Wishing I had a slice right now! Looks ridiculously delicious!

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  2. I was going to choose this but had another cake with courgettes in already planned. Your decoration choice looks lovely and I think dealing with this heat, cake for breakfast is acceptable lol.

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  3. Aw man! Now I feel like I really missed a chance to make some frosting!! Your loaves look gorgeous!

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  4. Cake for breakfast is always allowed here! I like courgette loaf very much, and yours look lovely. I like your icing design and may steal it for future loafs which I sometimes find hard to make look pretty. X

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  5. Yum! I'm so glad you posted the recipe. I need to use a couple of zucchini in my refrigerator. What is caster sugar anyway? I don't have my book with me.

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    1. Hi Kathleen, caster sugar is a fine granulated sugar sold in the UK. I use it for baking rather than regular granulated but I don't think it makes that much difference.

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  6. Delicious! A favourite of ours if we are handed on a glut of courgettes is courgette risotto which is baked. It is delicious!

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  7. I would say its positively one of your five-a-day!!
    Looks great!
    V x

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  8. Gina, that zucchini loaf looks so very delicious, and is obviously a very healthy breakfast choice. Or midday, afternoon or even evening choice!

    I love such veg, and but have never done any baking myself that made use of them. Lots available at the farmers markets now. Some farmers kindly set up two zucchini displays, separated the smaller ones (which I prefer) from their big brothers.

    xo

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  9. That sounds quite a healthy cake - one of your five a day? It looks delicious but I dare not make one as everyone else in the family will leave me to eat it. I shall enjoy cake vicariously!

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  10. And if zucchini (courgettes) are not in season, you can do grated apple (like granny smith).
    Where I come from this kind of cake is very popular...they have the same problems with the glut of zucchini. It is a very back woods town and now one locks their cars in town...except zucchini season... as you can return from the shop to find that someone has kindly donated their extra zucchini to you!
    Sandy in Bracknell

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  11. What a great way to use up a glut of courgettes. Sounds like perfect breakfast food. B x

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    1. I'm already looking forward to breakfast tomorrow!

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  12. Your cake looks lovely and a cake with green stuff in it is definitely health food!

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    1. That's what I thought... One of my five a day!

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  13. Yum If I could manage to bake that cake without my husband seeing the ingredients I am sure he would love it - he would run a mile rather than voluntarily eat zucchini, but in a cake....

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  14. I was thinking this would be great with coffee in the morning. I love the icing idea.

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    1. Healthier without the icing but it does look pretty!

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  15. Cake for breakfast is always good, particularly if it contains one of your five a day! Have copied the recipe for Annie to bake one day, we have courgettes in the garden, too. x

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  16. They look great. I've never thought of making something sweet with courgettes (a favourite with the other two here are courgette, feta and mint fritters) but I do love loaf shaped cakes. Especially for breakfast!

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  17. What a delicious breakfast! I love the gorgeous rise you got on the loaves too.

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  18. I now regret giving away two of the loaves... The icing and extra topping you add pushed up the bar several notches!

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    1. You'll have to make another one! 😉

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  19. Thank you for this recipe an excellent way to use up courgettes. I needed to make a few minor adjustments to suit the family and also what I had in the pantry - fruit instead of nuts I reduced the amount used these I forgot to add at the mixing stage but were poked in when the mix was in the tin, less cinnamon replaced with mixed spice, oil was a combination of rapeseed and olive. But successful and tasty.

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    1. Your version sounds absolutely delicious!

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  20. Of course it's breakfast food...veggies and nuts are good for you...and it has eggs. Looks delicious :)

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    1. It also became lunch food this week. Perfect with a cup of coffee!

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  21. Ohmygosh, that looks amazing! That is SO a perfect breakfast food and the icing puts it over the top. You always make it so pretty too Gina! I'm very jealous of your zucchini plants -- I used to get enough out of one plant to feed our family of four, but the last few years I would get maybe one out of two or three plants, so I finally gave up. I sure miss having a glut of them in the summer!

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  22. Oh Gina this does look delicious! I love the flowers that come from courgettes, I always want some to decorate my cakes with but can never find any!! And look at all of yours there.. the cake looks delicious!! Making more for the freezer sounds like a great plan to me!! Hazel x

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