Zucchini & Lemon Cake

Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe

Hi guys! It's us here. It's been a while since we last posted a recipe... But we bring you cake, so we hope there are no hard feelings! We made the most our summer and enjoyed the sun and the waves whenever we found the time to do so, amidst all the working and planning. Lots of exciting things are happening for us soon, and that is where all our energy has been going into. Our blog calendar is back on track though, so you can expect to see a lot more of us from now on!

This zucchini cake has been on my (Rita) mind for such a long time. I'd been craving a sweet and tangy, deep flavoured cake for a while, when we got a visit from André's dad. He always brings us a generous amount of whatever is seasonal at the time, whether it is plums, tomatoes, mandarines... That time around, he came bearing a 1.5L bottle of the richest, most delicious olive oil, which had been recently cold-pressed from his latest batch of olives. Believe it or not, this is the best gift André could hope to receive, and it's extra special coming from his father. We treat it as a rare delicacy that is not to be wasted on mediocre confections! We don't often cook with olive oil (or any oils, as a matter of fact), but we do enjoy it raw, drizzled over salads, soups or pastas. As soon as I tasted it I knew I'd just found the perfect excuse to finally roll up my sleeves and get working on that zucchini cake I'd imagined! A little tweak here and there, and the cake finally matched my yearnings. Even though it's baked in a loaf pan, this is not the common zucchini loaf or bread... It is in fact, a cake in all it's glory. Crumbly, fluffy, slightly moist, sweet yet not too much. I could go on.

We love having a slice of this cake with a cup of tea or plain rice milk. We reckon the ingredients' list may be a little long and intimidating, but when you're a foodie just like we are, you like to bring out the big guns and play around with everything you've got. And trust us, these spices, flour, fresh produce and natural sugars... Taste a-mazing when brought together. Totally worth scavenging the spice section in the supermarket and spending a little extra on coconut sugar. Give this a go and let us know what you think!

Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe
Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe

Zucchini & Lemon Cake

1 hour and 10 minutes  |  serves 10-12 slices

Healthy Vegan Zucchini & Lemon Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups | 240 gr. wholegrain spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1/8 tsp himalayan salt
3/4 cup | 75 gr. roughly crushed walnuts

WET INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup | 120 gr. coconut sugar
3 flax eggs (combine 3 tbsp ground flax seeds with 9 tbsp water and allow to rest for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup | 125 ml. plant-based milk
1/3 cup | 80 ml. olive oil
1/4 cup | 60 ml. maple syrup
1/4 cup | 80 ml. lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cups | 225 gr. grated zucchini

LEMON & CASHEW FROSTING
1 cup | 130 gr. raw cashew nuts, soaked in water for a minimum of 4 hours
1/4 cup | 60 ml. lemon juice
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/8 tsp vanilla powder

TOP WITH
crushed walnuts
candied ginger
lemon zest
grated zucchini
lemon slices

STEP BY STEP

Start by gathering, preparing and measuring all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen.

LEMON & CASHEW FROSTING

  1. Rinse and drain the soaked cashews.

  2. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and process for a few minutes, until the mixture becomes totally smooth. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the container a few times.

  3. Pour the frosting into a jar or airtight container and store in the fridge while you prepare the cake.


ZUCCHINI & LEMON CAKE

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 350ºF | 180ºC.

  2. Line a rectangular loaf pan with parchment paper.

  3. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

  4. Combine all the wet ingredients except for the zucchini in another bowl.

  5. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and fold until perfectly combined.

  6. Gently fold in the grated zucchini to the cake batter, little by little.

  7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

  8. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

  9. After the 30 minutes, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

  10. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, still in the pan.

  11. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely before serving.

  12. Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.


WE HOPE YOU ENJOY!

We'd love to hear how your creations turn out. Let us know if you give any of our recipes a go and tag your photos with #cocooncooksblog on Instagram so we can see them! xo