There is always time to stop and smell the flowers, and ponder ever pressing points.
Such as why exactly did I grow so many courgette plants this year?
This is today’s crop of courgettes. I’m trying to pick them so that the plants produce lots of little ones rather than concentrating on these bruisers. I’ve started putting some in the freezer in the form of these….
….Chocolate and courgette cakes. I made four loafs and twelve little cakes. We cut into this one straight from the oven. It crumpled slightly, but was so moist and tasty. I used up half a giant courgette. Even the less-than-enthusiastic members of the family gave it the thumbs up. Yeh! I’m going to make a few more batches for the freezer.
Recipe, in case you too have a glut…
250g (8oz) butter at room temperature
600g (21oz) golden caster sugar
250ml (1 cup) light veg oil
6 eggs
250ml (1 cup) of milk
700g (24oz) plain flour (all purpose flour)
4 tsp baking powder
8 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tsp vanilla essence
900g (32 oz) skinned and finely grated courgettes
- Line and grease 4 loaf tins and a 12-muffin tray
- Mix the butter, sugar and oil until it is smooth and fluffy
- While mixing, add one egg at a time, allowing the egg to thoroughly mix before adding another
- Mix in the milk.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder, until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour in the vanilla and courgettes and mix.
- Share the mixture out between the tins and tray.
- Bake at 350 F (190 c) for about 40 mins until firm. Insert a clean knife into the cake. If the knife comes out clean then the cake is ready. (If it is coated in courgette then, wipe the knife and try a different part of the cake. The courgette will stay moist even when the cake is done.)
- Optional : mix small amount of icing sugar, cocoa powder and water, and drizzled it on top while the cakes are hot
- Cool and enjoy.
So, while I baked, the children painted and ran barefoot through the garden. Can you imagine?!
Wishing you all a happy, colourful weekend.
this is so lovely.
we had a noxious overflowing of zucchini love last summer also..you know youve got a problem when nobody can stomach them anymore in your house, and when the neighbors see you they run inside and lock the door and pretend that you didnt just see them do so. ha! your little cakes look nice and moist..
Oh that is so true. I had a similar problem with eggs one summer. I swear the neighbours all plotted to go away on holiday at the same time.
The cakes sound good, I have seen recipes using courgettes in cakes but I’ve never tried any, perhaps it’s time I did. Hope you are having a good weekend.
The courgette makes the cake moist. Similar effect to carrots in carrot cake.
I love courgette cake. And roasted courgettes in a lasagne. We have some freinds who live in France, we stayed there a couple of years ago and since then I can hardly look at a Fernch bean…
I was thinking of making a freezer batch of vege lasagne. Nice reminder that I can include the courgettes. Thank you.
Thank you for posting this recipe! Our zucchini is “just” starting to come up…I’m sure once I’m done work on Tuesday they will be in FULL zucchini swing!
Chocolate cakes it is!
xo maureen
I hope you enjoy it. They all devour it quickly here.
I saw this on family fun and thought of you… yes I should be getting dinner ready… but some zucchini fun seems more important right now. http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday-parties/summer-parties/youve-been-zuked-906468/
Hardly solves your problem!!! but I was thinking of you!!!
Oh that is brilliant. Official as well. I’m going to put my thinking cap on. Need to find neighbours and friends that would enjoy this, are home, don’t read my blog and haven’t got a similiar courgette mountain. Thank you se7en for sharing this.