Courgette cake

This zesty courgette cake recipe is a great way to use up a seasonal glut. It's important to take your time ensuring as much moisture as possible has been squeezed from the grated vegetables- the result should be moist, but not wet, and similar to carrot cake.

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Grease and line 2 20cm cake tins.
2. Coarsely grate the carrot and courgettes, then place into a colander over the sink and squeeze to release any liquid. Repeat twice, or until barely any more moisture comes out. Toss in 10g of the flour and set aside.
3. Sieve the flour into the bowl of a food mixer and add the sugar, baking powder, salt and almonds. Zest the lemon - reserving the juice for the frosting - and add to the bowl along with the orange zest, sultanas, butter and eggs.
4. Mix for 2 minutes, then add the courgette and carrot to the bowl and mix for a further 2 minutes, or until well combined - do not overmix.
5. Divide between the lined cake tins and bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes, or until the tip of a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tins, then turn out onto a rack and leave to cool completely.
6. For the frosting, place the very soft butter into a bowl and add a tablespoon of the reserved orange juice. Beat or whisk until combined, then add the icing sugar to form a smooth buttercream. If you like, add a squeeze of lemon juice, too.
7. Stir in the cream cheese and lemon zest, mixing gently with a wooden spoon until combined.
8. Spread half the frosting in the middle of the cake and use the rest on top. Decorate with a little lemon and lime zest, or curls of citrus peel.