Chocolate Courgette Cake - nom nom!

• 120g butter (softened)
• 150g chocolate spread (Nutella, etc. I used 'Mr Choc' from Lidl - great name!)
• 100g caster sugar
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 350g plain flour*
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbs cocoa
• 500g courgettes, peeled and grated finely
  (use the food processor if you have one, done in a jiffy!)
• 1 tsp vanilla

(*I've made this with normal plain flour, as well as gluten-free plain flour and it tastes almost the same either way. I did add some xanthan gum to the GF version, as per packet instructions.) 

1. Line a 20 x 35 cm cake tin with baking paper and set oven to 190deg C/350deg F/gas 5. (I have made this in a 23 x 23 cm and a 20 x 25cm tin and both worked fine.)

2. Mix the butter, chocolate spread and both sugars together until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.

 

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the mixture, then stir in the grated courgettes and vanilla.

5. Pour into the lined cake tin.

6. Bake for 35-45 mins, then check with a skewer to see if it is cooked through. If cake mix sticks to the skewer, cook for a further 5 mins each time until the skewer comes out clean.

normal cake left, gluten-free cake right

For some of the cakes I made I put in a filling of chocolate spread and allotment-grown-blackcurrant jam. Nom nom!

The cakes are super-moist and absolutely delicious! I defy anyone who dislikes courgettes to be able to taste there is a vegetable in this tasty treat :) Hope you enjoy making your own. At work, they DEMANDED I make another cake, soon after the first one I made was eaten! I had a non-filled cake, warm, with custard but it would be equally nice with cream or a chocolate sauce...

This is a tried & tested adaptation of this recipe. I ditched the oil and replaced it with chocolate spread, and didn't bother with the milk as there is plenty of moisture in the courgettes. I've made 3 cakes so far (2 gluten-free) and I am currently in love with their moist chocolatey goodness!