Veg Patch Cake

A delicious way of using up a seasonal glut, this moist cake is full of goodness. I devised the recipe after pulling up a lot of vegetables from my dad's garden, and staring at their abundance with a bit of consternation. This was the result, and instantly received rave reviews. I took it to a friend's for a summer lunch, and she insisted I send her the recipe as soon as I got home. 

The sponge looks heavy, almost like a fruit cake, but it is actually surprisingly light. The lime of the icing provides a zingy, enlivening topping. 

This recipe is easily adapted for cupcakes (see a picture of mine below); simply bake for less time in the oven (until golden brown and springy to the touch). 
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Ingredients
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For the sponge

• 200g carrot (pre-prepared weight, but not including weight of any carrot tops)
• 200g courgette (pre-prepared weight)
• 200g beetroot (pre-prepared weight, but not including weight of any beetroot tops)
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• Small sprig of lemon thyme 
• 225g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 180ml sunflower oil
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  
  

For the icing

• 100g butter
• 100g icing sugar
• Juice of 1 lime
• 200g full-fat cream cheese

For decoration (optional)

• Grated zest of 1 lime
• Courgette flowers
  
  

Equipment

• 23cm diameter cake tin, lined with baking parchment

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Wash and peel the beetroot and carrots. Wash the courgettes. Chop the top and bottom off the courgettes and carrots. Grate the courgettes, carrots and beetroot coarsely. Wrap in kitchen roll and try to eliminate as much excess moisture as possible. 

2. Grate the lime and mix with the grated vegetables. ​Add the leaves of the lemon thyme. 

3. Using an electric hand whisk, whisk the eggs, oil and sugar together until light and fluffy. 

4. Mix the vegetables with the flour. Add the veg-flour mix to the egg mix and stir using a wooden spoon. Finally, add the bicarbonate of soda and mix thoroughly. 

6. Bake the cake at 160°C fan for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Top with foil if the outside is browning too quickly. Transfer to a cooling tray. If making cupcakes, bake for about 40 minutes until risen and golden brown. The sponge should bounce back when lightly touched in the centre. 

7. To make the icing, using an electric hand whisk, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Then, add the lime juice, icing sugar and cream cheese. Beat thoroughly. Spoon onto the top of the cake and grate lime zest over the top. Add courgette flowers if desired.