Courgette, pistachio and lemon syrup cake
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Loading... - Ines Novak
- 03 Sep 2021
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Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Makes 1 loaf
100g pistachios
170g olive oil, plus extra to grease
250g golden caster sugar
2 eggs
200g white self-raising flour, sifted
Salt
200g courgettes, coarsely grated
Zest of 2 lemons
For the drizzle
175g caster sugar
100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice – about 3 lemons
Zest of one lemon
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Grease and line a 450gloaf tin.
Put the pistachios on a baking tray and roast for seven to eight minutes until they are beginning to turn golden, then remove and leave to cool. Once cool, empty into a food processor and blitz until they are the texture of breadcrumbs. Set aside 30g for garnishing the cake later.
Put the oil and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until thick and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time with the machine running moderately slowly, then carefully fold in 70g of the pistachios, the flour, a pinch of salt, the courgettes and the lemon zest. Do not overmix, or the cake will become heavy.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 65-75 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the drizzle. Warm the sugar in a pan over a medium heat until dissolved, then add the lemon juice and stir. As soon as you have removed the cake from the oven, prick it all over with a cocktail stick and pour over the warm syrup so it runs into the holes. Scatter over the reserved pistachios, followed by the lemon zest. Leave to cool, then remove from the tin and serve in thick slices with dollops of creme fraiche, softly whipped double cream or a dairy-free substitute.
And for the rest of the week
Slow-cook any leftover courgettes in a pan with good olive oil, masses of garlic and a splash of water and lemon juice for a wonderful vegetable side, pasta topping or soup – I toss in chervil, wild fennel, mint or oregano depending on what is around. You can also shave the courgettes with a peeler – a lovely, visual addition to a salad, particularly if you can find yellow ones. Or just stuff them with tomatoes and grains and bake them with a topping of breadcrumbs, olive oil and pecorino.
