Spiced Courgette Cake Recipe

350 g/12 oz/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
10 ml/2 tsp baking powder
7.5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon

5 ml/1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2.5 ml/0.5 tsp salt
8 egg whites
450 g/1 lb/2 cups caster (superfine) sugar
100 g/4 oz/1 cup apple puree (sauce)

120 ml/4 fl oz/0.5 cup buttermilk
15 ml/1 tbsp vanilla essence (extract)

5 ml/1 tsp finely grated orange rind

350 g/12 oz/3 cups courgettes (zucchini), grated
75 g/3 oz/0.75 cup walnuts, chopped

For the topping:
100 g/4 oz/0.5 cup cream cheese
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened
5 ml/1 tsp finely grated orange rind

10 ml/2 tsp orange juice
350 g/12 oz/2 cups icing (confectioners') sugar, sifted

Method:

Mix together the dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Slowly beat in the sugar, then the apple puree, buttermilk, vanilla essence and orange rind. Fold in the flour mixture, then the courgettes and walnuts. Spoon into a greased and floured 25 cm/10 in cake tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 for 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

Beat together all the topping ingredients until smooth, adding enough sugar to make a spread able consistency. Spread over the cooled cake.