Mary Berry Lemon Courgette Cake

Mary Berry Lemon Courgette Cake is made with courgettes, lemons, poppy seeds, and soft cheese. This delicious Mary Berry Lemon Courgette Cake recipe creates a tasty dessert that takes about 1 hour to prepare and can serve up to 8 people.

Mary Berry Lemon Courgette Cake Ingredients

• 250g (1 cup) unsalted butter, very soft, plus extra for the tin
• 3 unwaxed lemons
• 200g (1 cup) golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 medium courgettes, coarsely grated (300g/10oz flesh)
• 1 tsp poppy seeds, plus extra to decorate
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g (¾ cup) self-raising flour
• 100g (¾ cup) plain wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g (½ cup) icing sugar
• 200g (7 oz) full-fat soft cheese
• 4 tbsp lemon curd (optional)

How To Make Mary Berry Lemon Courgette Cake

1. Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/gas 4. Butter 2 x 20cm (8-inch) sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
2. Prepare Ingredients: Zest 2 lemons, then squeeze their juice into a bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine 200g butter, caster sugar, eggs, courgettes, poppy seeds, vanilla, and lemon zest. Beat until creamy.
3. Make Batter: Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice, self-raising flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Spoon the mixture into the tins.
4. Bake: Bake for 25 minutes or until risen, golden, and springy in the middle.
5. Prepare Drizzle: Mix 1 tbsp lemon juice with 25g icing sugar.
6. Make Frosting: In a bowl, combine the remaining icing sugar, butter, soft cheese, remaining lemon juice (about 2 tbsp), and the zest of the final lemon. Beat until smooth.
7. Cool Cakes: Cool the cakes in their tins for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack. Prick with a cocktail stick, spoon over the drizzle, and let cool completely.
8. Assemble Cake: If freezing, freeze at this stage for up to 1 month. To serve, place one cake on a serving plate, spread with just under half the frosting, and optionally, lemon curd. Top with the second cake spread the remaining frosting over the top, and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Recipe Tips

• Use room-temperature butter: Make sure the butter is very soft to ensure it mixes well with the sugar and creates a smooth batter.
• Grate courgettes finely: Coarsely grated courgettes can make the cake too dense. Fine grating helps keep the texture light.
• Sift the flour: Sifting the self-raising and wholemeal flours helps avoid lumps and ensures an even distribution of baking powder.
• Check for doneness: Test the cakes with a skewer; if it comes out clean, the cakes are done. Overbaking can make them dry.
• Let cakes cool completely: Before frosting, ensure the cakes are completely cool to prevent the frosting from melting and sliding off.

What To Serve With Lemon Courgette Cake?

This moist and zesty Lemon Courgette Cake pairs well with fresh berries, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or lemon sorbet. It can also be served alongside afternoon tea, a light fruit salad, Greek yogurt, or honey drizzle for a refreshing dessert.

How To Store Leftovers Lemon Courgette Cake?

• Refrigerate: Let the leftover Lemon Courgette Cake cool to room temperature. Wrap it in cling film or store it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.
• Freeze: Cool the cake completely before wrapping it tightly in cling film and then in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, remove from the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Mary Berry Lemon Courgette Cake Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 slice

• Calories: 324
• Total Fat: 13g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 104mg
• Sodium: 117mg
• Potassium: 0.5mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 47g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 28g
• Protein: 5g

Try More Mary Berry Recipes:

• Mary Berry Curried Parsnip Soup
• Mary Berry Apple And Cinnamon Scones
• Mary Berry Chocolate Bundt Cake
• Mary Berry Salmon And Asparagus Quiche