Courgette, Pistachio & Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Fudge Topping Recipe

Chocolate, Pistachio & Courgette Cake

The original recipe for this courgette and chocolate cake came from the BBC Good Food but feeling impatient and not having all the ingredients in the press, it's been adapted (and worked!).

We have another birthday coming up this weekend and I needed a small second tier (by request) for the cake. We also have a fridge full of courgettes so what better way to make use of them than stick them into another cake (we already have a large pan of soup on the stove that we're working our way through)!

Today's cake baking was saved for school home time knowing how much the girls like to help. Today the youngest came running in the door to see what I was up to and immediately put on her apron full of delight at the prospect of helping mum ... the delight was short lived and the smile quickly turned into a frown...

She spotted the courgette that was waiting to be fed to the grater in the food processor "ahh no - we're not putting THAT in a chocolate cake!!" She loves cracking eggs and sieving flour however, so was persuaded to stay and give it a go. A few hours later when her big sister returned home she excitedly dragged her into the kitchen ... "you have to try the chocolate cake - it has courgettes in and its DELICIOUS!"

She's right, it is and here's the recipe.

Ingredients (my version)

350g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp mixed spice
175ml olive oil
375g caster sugar
3 free range eggs
a few drops of vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
500g grated courgettes
140g roasted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

For the Icing

100g dark chocolate 70%
75ml evaporated milk
75g granulated sugar
40g butter
few drops vanilla extract

Method

Heat the oven to 180oC. Grease and line a 24cm deep cake tin.

1. Place the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and salt into a large bowl and combine.
2. In another bowl combine the sugar, eggs, olive oil, vanilla extract and grated courgette.
3. Mix the dry and wet mixture until almost combined then add the pistachio nuts.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for approx 50 min's (use a skewer to ensure it's cooked)
5. Cool in the cake tin for 10 min's before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling.

For the Icing

Put the sugar and evaporated milk into a heavy based saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil then simmer without stirring for 6 min's.

Remove from the heat, add the broken up chocolate pieces and once fully incorporated, stir in the butter and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and once cool place in the fridge to thicken.

Spread the chocolate fudge over the cake and enjoy!

I'll update this in a couple of days and let you know what the children think of the surprise layer at the party! Have you any tasty sweet recipes that use vegetables?