We’ve just come out of a busy Easter weekend and I’ve learnt a few valuable life lessons.
It’s my first Easter with a child in school and I didn’t realise that bonnet making was equal to an Olympic sport in terms of competition and sheer skill. Our very homemade Poundland offering was never going to cut the mustard – note for next year, buy a glue gun and up my game.
Another lesson I’ve learnt is as a parent I need to purchase the bare minimum in terms of chocolate. The kids were given so many eggs they haven’t even noticed my secret eating of half of them!
And I’ve also learnt that I should limit the kids (and my own) sugar consumption for at least a week before in preparation. Instead I’ve spent most of this week trying to not-so-subtly add extra fruit and veg into their diets whilst hiding the chocolate mountain we’ve acquired over the weekend.
Thus the lemon and courgette cakes were born. Even though they contain roughly 220g of courgette they are still a proper cakey treat. Light and moist and the cream cheese frosting gives them a bit of an indulgent edge too.
You will need a 12 hole muffin tray, lined with cases.
Ingredients
225g Self Raising Flour
175g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs (chicken’s not chocolate)
1 Courgette (zucchini) grated
Zest (grated rind) and juice of 1 Lemon
Teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting
100g Full Fat Cream Cheese
15ml (tablespoon) Lemon juice
400g Icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 170°C Gas Mark 3
In your largest-kid friendly bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until creamy.
Beat in the eggs and add the grated courgette along with the zest and juice of the lemon.
It was at this stage where my 3 year old happily tucked into raw courgette (albeit covered in batter) and declared courgette was her favourite vegetable!
Add in the flour and baking powder and mix well until all ingredients are combined.
Divide between the 12 cases and bake for 20 minutes or until raised and golden.
Allow to cool completely while you prepare the frosting.
For the cream cheese frosting simply combine all ingredients and beat with a whisk or mixer until smooth.
We piped little swirls on but you can spread over or even cut the cakes in half and sandwich with the cream cheese if you prefer 😀
Enjoy!
Baking With Kids 