Chocolate and Courgette Slice with Cream Cheese Frosting

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This rich chocolate sponge, loaded with grated courgette, is exceptionally light and fluffy but also, intense in chocolate flavour. You really would not know you are eating courgette; it dissolves into the cake ensuring that the sponge is soft, stays moist and is not overly sweet. The icing on the cake, quite literally, is the icing – a sweet, luscious, creamy, dreamy, silky smooth cream cheese frosting. A wonderful combination of flavour and texture.

How to make Chocolate and Courgette Slice with Cream Cheese Frosting

Based on my Spicy Cake with Vegetable/Fruit and Nuts – Core Recipe, this recipe can also be used to make muffins, baked into a loaf or made into a layer cake (in 2 x 18cm/7in round cake tins). See here for Dark Chocolate and Courgette Loaf.

Collect all your ingredients together:

Chocolate and Courgette Slice –

Wet ingredients:

• courgettes, washed, trimmed and grated. (No need to peel)
• sunflower or vegetable oil
• natural yoghurt
• eggs

Dry ingredients:

• caster sugar
• plain/all-purpose flour
• unsweetened cocoa
• instant coffee powder
• bicarbonate of/baking soda
• baking powder
• fine salt

Cream Cheese Frosting –

• unsalted butter, at room temperature
• fine salt 
• icing sugar 
• vanilla extract
• cream cheese

To finish –

• grated chocolate

How to make this fabulous slice:

1. Courgette: wash and trim the courgettes. Using a box grater, grate them directly onto the centre of a clean tea towel. Wrap the towel tightly around the grated courgette and squeeze out the excess liquid.
2. Wet ingredients and sugar: weigh the oil, yoghurt, eggs and caster sugar into a mixing bowl and use a balloon whisk to mix well.
3. Dry ingredients: sieve over the flour, cocoa, coffee, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt. Fold in until nearly mixed and then quickly beat well with a balloon whisk, until smooth. Be careful not to over-mix.
4. Bake: fold the grated courgette into the cake batter and transfer into prepared cake tin. Level the surface and bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until cooked. It is cooked when:
   • the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains.
   • a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
5. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 -15 minutes and then, using the greaseproof paper over-hang, transfer to a cooling rack.

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Cream Cheese Frosting and finish the cake:

1. Beat the butter and salt with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar, whisking well in between each addition. (NB You may wish to first fold the icing sugar in with a spoon before whisking – this will help to stop the icing sugar clouding up and making a mess of your kitchen!) Beat until very light and fluffy. This can take up to 5 minutes.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract and finally beat in the cream cheese.
4. Taste and add more vanilla, if necessary
5. When the cake is completely cool, top with the frosting.
6. Finish with grated chocolate – I use a potato peeler to grate the chocolate.
7. Slice the cake into 16 squares and serve.

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Made this recipe?

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