Courgette and Thyme Garden Cake

Ingredients

For the cake
175g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
175g golden caster sugar
zest 1 unwaxed lemons
3 large eggs
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 courgettes  (about 300g), coarsely grated
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves

For the icing
125g mascarpone
125g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
zest 1 unwaxed lemons
450g icing sugar

Method

Heat oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4.

Grease and line the bases of two 20cm springform cake tins. In a large bowl using an electric hand whisk, beat 175g butter with 175g sugar and the zest of 1 lemon until creamy.

Gently beat three of the eggs together in a jug. Gradually add the egg to the mixture, scraping down the side and whisking well after each addition.

In a separate bowl, mix together 200g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt, and fold this into the cake mixture. Finally, stir in 300g courgette and 1 tbsp. thyme leaves.

Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the tins and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the icing, mix all the ingredients together before spreading on the two layers of cake and stacking.

Products Used