… it’s been two weeks since i’ve been back to the cottage and it’s quite amazing how dramatically the countryside has changed… brown has replaced gold as the glorious wheat fields make way for the ploughs steely edge and the multitude of greens that bequeathed the trees their shaded glory have become faded as they turn to yellows and russet red and it’s funny because it’s not like it doesn’t happen every year but each time I am caught by surprise at how incredibly beautiful this particular seasonal transition is…
… for me the true culinary mark of autumn is when the british apples are ready… I absolutely love the smell of apples baking, it’s just so caramelly and rich and old-fashioned and to be able to bring apples in direct from the garden to the kitchen is such a lovely thing to be able to do… even if those apples aren’t actually from my garden… but don’t tell the farmer…
courgette and apple cake
because of our extended summer of sun and warmth here in the UK we’ve been able to combine certain fruits that wouldn’t seasonally be together, freshly picked in the same dish… i’ve seen blackberry and strawberry pie which are two fruits from very different ends of the seasonal spectrum and whilst the apple and courgette combo isn’t unusual the courgettes are usually over by now so when these gorgeous little numbers came to me as part of my Organic. Naturally Different. food package I was quite surprised and excited to be able to make this cake…
Nigel Slater recipe taken from The Guardian website.
200g butter
200g caster sugar
2 free-range organic eggs
150g courgettes – coarsely grated
1 small apple – coarsely grated
200g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
80g sultanas
pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease and line a large loaf tin
in a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and beat in thoroughly
squeeze out the grated apple and courgette and then mix these into the batter along with the sultanas
fold in the flour, salt and cinnamon until fully combined then pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until golden and risen – set aside to cool and then drizzle with a little icing sugar mixed with squeezed orange juice
i’m having real issues with my oven at the moment and all my cakes seem to be burning… it’s not hugely effecting the taste but it’s a little annoying nonetheless so do bare with me whilst I serve up some slightly toasted cake…
this being a Nigel Slater recipe I am of course entering this cake into this month’s brilliant Dish of the Month, Nigel Slater-loving bloggers challenge hosted by Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen and Sue from A little bit of Heaven on a Plate
eat and of course, enjoy!
Oh that sounds like a delicious cake, and so loving the apple and courgette combo! I love baking with veggies, always makes for a lighter and moist bake….and you feel just that teeny weeny bit better about tucking into your fifth slice!
This sounds like a fantastic combination and we have so many courgettes to use up at the moment….. May just have to try making a gluten free version.
Looks and sounds delicious!
I never thought of adding courgettes to a cake. It looks like a lovely combination
Dom I believe you've been infected by the Viking – all that seasonal poetry. I do love this time of year (apart from today where it's been tipping down for hours). The nice thing about making a courgette cake without chocolate is that you can see the flecks of green and that makes it look particularly appealing. Love the addition of apple too.
I love apples and baking with apples. Great pairing with courgette too – please send a large slice over 🙂
An excellent bit of baking, perfect with a cuppa on a damp, dark and windy autumn day. Remember to add your post to the linky, thanks 🙂
Such a perfect cake for this time of year.
Oh thank you for posting this recipe am making it today for school lunches and dessert tonight..
I am quite partial to crispy edges on cake – who would know – nothing wrong with that. Love apple cake and the addition of zucchini give it a little extra texture and colour – nice.
Is green the new colour?
Delectable and I DO love veggies in cakes and bakes, makes them so moist! Great recipe from Nigel as always! And, baked to perfection by you! Karen
That is awesome Dom! I am a sucker for apple cake and I'll be giving this cake a go for sure. Lovely autumn cake.
We don't get much of an autumn here in the desert, but isn't it funny how the smell of baking apples reminds me of those times when I lived in the part of the country were we did have autumn? It truly is one of those signs for me too! The cake looks amazingly moist and delicious!!!
This looks beautiful, I can only imagine how lovely it would taste. I love courgette cakes and apple cakes so this combination is brilliant. Good old Nigel and thanks for posting it !!
SO FREAKING LOVE NIGEL SLATER'S RECIPES. Always simple, clean, and lets the best of the seasons shine. I'm doing this in the weekend!
GORGEOUS! What more is there to say? x
Courgette and apple, to me, doesn’t sound like it works. I may have to try this recipe though out of sheer curiosity. Thanks for the post.