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Small Courgette Cake Recipe

This small courgette cake commonly known as a zucchini cake in the US is very similar to a carrot cake. Courgette sounds so much more elegant! The lime frosting goes very well with this cake. A lightly sweet and fluffy cake perfect to serve with coffee or tea.

If you love small quick bread loaves then you should also try my mini pound cake recipe.

sliced courgette cake on silver serving tray.

I first came across this cake when living in London and I have recreated and scaled down the recipe making it the perfect size for one or two people. This little cake is so yummy!

Check out my other small-batch desserts for one.

Ingredients Notes

Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.

ingredients measured out to make a small courgette cake.
  • Vegetable oil Use a neutral flavored vegetable oil.
  • Egg -A standard large egg, does not need to be beaten before mixing.
  • Brown sugar – The brown sugar gives a nice sweet depth to the cake,
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder – The leavening agent provides a lift and rise to the cake.
  • Lime – One large lime is usually enough for both the cake and frosting. You can also use lemons for this recipe.
  • Zucchini (Courgettes) – Courgettes are zucchinis in England. You don’t need to peel the zucchinis before grating. depending on the size you will use about half of a medium-sized zucchini. If you have a choice purchase smaller zucchinis.
  • Cream cheese – I used full-fat cream cheese but you can substitute a reduced fat version.
  • Butter – The butter adds extra richness to the frosting, if preferred you can however leave it out.
  • Powdered sugar – This makes mixing very easy, no sugar granules t deal with.
  • Pistachio nuts – These add a bit of crunch to the cake. You can add these into the batter or sprinkle them on top of the frosting.

See the recipe card for ingredient quantities.

Step By Step Recipe Directions

(Note: please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete written instructions.)

parchment lined mini loaf pan.

Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit and Line a small baking pan with parchment paper.

courgette cake batter mixed in white bowl.

In a medium-size bowl mix the oil, sugar, and eggs with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.  You can also use an electric blender, however when making such a small amount of batter I prefer to use a spoon.

courgette batter mixed in white farmhouse bowl.

In a small bowl or measuring cup mix the flour, and baking powder together.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no flour streaks. 

Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the lime zest and grated courgettes (zucchini) into the batter until it’s evenly mixed together.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 

courgette cake baking in oven.

Place loaf pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. When a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean the cake is done. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the loaf pan and transfer it to a wire cooling rack.

courgette cake cooling on small rack.

Use a small offset spatula to frost the top of the cake.

frosted corgette cake cooling.

Tools used

Most of my recipes are made without electric mixers or fancy equipment and this courgette cake only needs a bowl, measuring spoons and cups, grater, wooden spoon, knife, and small baking pan. IA mini offset spatula is a nice to have item. Also, you need an oven, I use the Breville Smart oven for almost all my baking.

Storage

If you have any leftovers, store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator.

Top tip

  • You may want a lighter lime flavor; when making the cream cheese frosting add half the lime juice and taste before adding more.
  • This recipe is easy to mix with just a spoon if you bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature and soften it.

Did you make this recipe? I would love it if you left a comment or review! Be sure to sign up for the email list and follow “A Weekend Cook” on Pinterest and my Facebook page.

sliced courgette cake on silver serving tray.

Courgette and Lime Cake

This Courgette cake is the British version of a zucchini cake and very easy to pull together. I came across this recipe while living in London and sharing my scaled down version. So moist and flavorful you‘ll want to make this cake over and over again!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 1 /2 pound loaf
Calories: 362kcal
Author:Sydney Dawes

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 72g cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • cup 50g brown sugar
  • ½ 60g cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest
  • cup 50g Courgettes (zucchini), grated

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS

  • 3- ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon butter softened
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts crushe

Instructions

THE CAKE

  • Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit (175 ° Centigrade). Line a small baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium-size bowl mix the oil, sugar, and eggs with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.  You can also use an electric blender, however when making such a small amount of batter I prefer to use a spoon.
  • In a small bowl or measuring cup mix the flour, and baking powder together.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no flour streaks. 
  • Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the lime zest and grated courgettes (zucchini) into the batter until it's evenly mixed together.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 
  • Place loaf pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. When a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean the cake is done. 
  • Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the loaf pan and transfer it to a wire cooling rack.

LIME CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • Add the butter and cream cheese into a small bowl and bring to room temperature.  Use a wooden spoon or handheld electric mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. 
  • Slowly mix in the powdered sugar until smooth. 
  • Add the lime zest and juice and beat with a spoon or mixer until mixed well. Adjust lime to your taste.
  • When the cake has completely cooled, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top and spread out with a knife or offset spatula. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top for a little crunch.

Notes

Room Temperature Ingredients: Butter and cream cheese should be room temperature and softened to mix easily.
Grate Zucchini Finely: The finer the zucchini is grated, the more evenly it will distribute within the bread, providing moistness throughout. You do not need to peel the zucchini before grating it.
Measure Correctly: Be sure to measure all your ingredients accurately, especially the flour. An excess amount can lead to a dry or overly dense loaf. 
Do Not Overmix: When combining the wet and dry ingredients, stir until they’re mixed. Overmixing can result in dense bread.
Check for Doneness: Due to varying oven temperatures, start checking your bread a bit before the suggested baking time. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool Completely: Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. This will make it easier to slice and can also improve the texture.
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g
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