Banana Courgette Cake

I remember when I first heard of courgette cake as a child. It seemed preposterous- an insult against cakes. It was years before I tried one. My first attempt to make one was disastrous. But this recipe is brilliant. It combines bananas with courgette for nutritious cake.


8 oz plain wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz soft brown sugar
1 oz walnuts or pecans chopped
1 oz sultanas
6 oz (2 bananas) ripe banana, mashed
3 large eggs, beaten
8 oz finely grated courgette (no need to peel)
5 fl oz sunflower oil

1. Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into large bowl. Add sugar, nuts and sultanas.
2. Mix well, then add mashed banana and beaten eggs.
3. Stir in grated vegetables and oil.
4. Beat mixture thoroughly for one minute (it will be slightly lumpy).
5. Butter (or line with greaseproof paper) a 9-inch cake tin (or a large loaf tin).
6. Put mixture into tin and bake for 1 hour at gas mark 4 (350ºF/175ºC) until skewer comes out clean from centre of cake.

I would use half the sugar- this was very, very sweet. SO sweet, in fact, that I had to balance it out with a bitter lemon icing- lemon zest and juice with icing sugar. Equally good with sunflower seeds instead of the nuts.