Courgette & Lime BOO Cake

Courgette & Lime Halloween Cake

We’re doing cutesy Halloween around here!

I absolutely love getting involved in festivities throughout the year. For me, Halloween is a time for spooky treats and pumpkin carving. You often see lots of chocolate cake around or gory looking raspberry compote on baked goods, but I thought I’d go for something a bit lighter. This is a courgette and lime take on a madeira sponge; so a sponge that’s got a bit of weight to it. The buttercream is a russian buttercream which I’ve added a blackberry compote to for colour. If you want the cake to be really zesty, add in the zest from 3 or 4 limes rather than 2.

Courgette & Lime Halloween Cake
Courgette & Lime Halloween Cake
Courgette & Lime Halloween Cake

Ingredients - makes one 8x12inch cake
230g unsalted butter, room temp
230g caster sugar
Zest of 2 limes
4 medium eggs
330g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g courgette, coarsely grated 
1 tbsp milk

Compote:
150g fresh blackberries 
15g caster sugar
Small squeeze of lime juice
1 tsp cornflour

Buttercream:
225g unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla paste
Pinch of salt
1 tin of condensed milk (379g)

Method:

Sponge:

Grease and line a 9x12inch baking tray with butter and baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170C.

Rub the lime zest into the sugar. Cream the butter and vanilla into the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Squeeze as much liquid out of the courgette as possible before stirring into the batter. Gently mix in the flour and salt. Just before it's completely mixed, add in a tbsp of milk and finish mixing until fully combined. Smooth into your prepared cake tin in an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Compote:

Place the blackberries, sugar and lime juice into a saucepan. Place over low heat and squash down the berries with a fork. Stir occasionally until you have a lightly bubbling liquid. Strain the compote, keeping only the liquid. Pour back into the saucepan and add in the cornflour. Whisk over low heat until thickened and bubbling. Pour into a container with clingfilm touching the surface and refrigerate until cold.

Buttercream:

Beat the butter, vanilla and salt in a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. While on medium speed, gradually pour in the condensed milk. Scrap down the bowl and beat until fully emulsified and smooth. Add in the cooled compote juices and beat until combined.

Once the cake has completely cooled, lift it out of the cake tin and peel off the paper. Decorate & enjoy

Courgette & Lime Halloween Cake
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