Almond courgette cake

This cake serves 6, a lovely cake recipe which incorporates hidden vegetables and is made with less sugar and saturated fat.

Ingredients
2 medium sized courgettes trimmed and grated with skin on
4-5 tbs olive oil
¾ plain cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup ground almonds
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 lemons zested and juiced
1 cup ricotta
Honey-optional
2 cups of raspberries
Desiccated coconut-optional

Method

1. Pre heat oven to gas mark 5, 170 degrees fan, grease 2 small sandwich tins and line with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, almonds, baking powder and pinch of salt in a bowl and mix.
3. In a separate bowl add the eggs, sugar, oil, lemon zest and juice and whisk until combined.
4. Grate the courgettes and squeeze out excess water and tip into flour mixture and mix, add the wet ingredients and stir to make a smooth batter.
5. Pour the batter into 2 small baking tins and bake for 40-50 minutes until browned and check if cake is cooked by adding skewer into the middle of the cake to check if it comes out clean.
6. Remove cake from tins and cool on a wired rack. Meanwhile whip the ricotta with a squeeze of honey.
7. Finally spread the ricotta in-between the 2 cakes and on top of the cake. Top with fresh raspberries and sprinkle cake with desiccated coconut.

Optional
Add cocoa powder into cake batter for a chocolate version

Recipe by Gopika Papiah