[Food] Chocolate Courgette Cake.

This cake has been on my to bake list for ages and I've never got round to doing it. The other day, I went back home to visit my mum and she said to me, "oh I've got some spare courgettes, do you want them?" So I said yes and decided that the best way to eat a vegetable is in a chocolate cake. 

The amount of people that will/have turned their nose up at this cake will be vast, but it's there loss. You can't taste the courgette at all and it gives the cake the most amazing fudgey texture. So be brave, make the cake and tell people afterwards what's in the cake. They don't need to know.

Chocolate courgette cake

350g self raising flour

50g cocoa powder

175ml extra virgin olive oil

375g golden caster sugar

3eggs

2tsp vanilla extract

1tsp salt

2 medium grated courgettes, squeeze out excess juice

Icing:

200g dark chocolate, chopped

100ml double cream

chocolate buttons,chopped, to decorate

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. 

In a large bowl sieve the flour, cocoa powder and add 1tsp of salt.

In another bowl combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and grated courgette.

Mix together the dry and wet mixture until combined.

Line a 24cm cake tin with greaseproof paper and pour in your cake batter.

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, mine took a little longer, keep an eye on the cake after the 40 minute mark. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely.

To make the icing, 

Place the chocolate in a bowl. 

Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan and pour over the chocolate.

Stir until smooth and melted. Leave to cool slightly and then spread it over the cake.

Top with chopped chocolate buttons.

Serve!

P.S My food photography is back! Yay, this makes me happy.