Courgette/Zucchini & Lime Cake with Pistachios

If you prefer to measure your ingredients rather than weigh them here's a detailed Conversion Chart

2½ oz/ 75g raisins soaked in 2 tbsp Rum or Bacardi for an hour or so

9 oz/ 250g courgettes/ zucchini (2-3) weighed before grating... I used yellow courgettes but green will do just as well 

3 medium eggs

4 fl oz/ 125ml veg oil

5 oz/  140g caster sugar

8 oz/ 225g self-raising flour

the grated zest of 1 lime 

½ tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp baking powder

FOR THE FROSTING

4 oz / 100g cream cheese

6 to 8oz / 175g/ 225g icing/confectioners sugar, sieved ( you may need more icing sugar depending on the moistness of the cheese and the amount of juice in your lime)  

 

juice of ½ lime & the zest of a whole lime 

this frosting is best placed in the fridge for an hour or so before attempting to ice your cake with it

2-3 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts to top the cake

I've posted this in both Imperial & Metric Weight I have a Conversion chart on my blog if you would like to make this in cups.Detailed Conversion Chart

Method:- (adaptation of a River Cottage recipe)

preheat oven 180 deg/350 f. gas 4

grease & line the base of a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment

 If using raisins, put into bowl and cover with a couple of tbsp rum or Bacardi to plump up. Put eggs, oil and sugar in bowl and beat until creamy. Sieve in the flour, cream of tartar and baking powder and continue to beat until combined. Stir in grated zucchini/courgette and add  raisins & lime zest. Pour mix a 2lb loaf tin, greased and lined and bake for around 40 minutes or until golden & firm to the touch.. Turn out and let cool completely.

 To make the icing beat cream cheese and in a bowl until smooth, add the sieved icing sugar and then stir in the lime juice & zest, beat well. Leave the frosting in the fridge for at least an hour until it starts to thicken , spread over the top of the loaf .  Put cake in fridge for a little to firm up then sprinkle over with the pistachios.

While researching this recipe I found another fabulous one, where the cake cake batter was split into two sandwich tins and baked. It was then filled with lime curd and then topped with the lime frosting and pistachios. Sounded totally lush to me.