Thick set lemon and bay icing:
• 3 lemon juice passed through a sieve
• 3 lemon zests
• 2 bruised bay leaves which have been lightly washed
• Touch of cold water
1. To begin in a large Mason and cash sieve your icing sugar, then add your lemon juice and long with your bruised bay leaves as this gives the icing a beautiful earthy note which helps to cut through the sweetness of the icing sugar.
2. Using a whisk bring your icing together don’t worry about the bay leaves as you can remove these once the icing is made and infused.
3. Once your icing has began to come together add in your lemon zest along with a touch of cold water if it is required, then place a teaspoon into the icing, you want your icing to have the dropping consistency.
The Gourmet Gent Courgette, pistachio, almond and lemon cake:
• 2 large washed courgettes (coarsely grated)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
• 150 ml of cold pressed olive oil
• 250 grams of self rising flour
• 50 grams of roughly chopped pistachio nuts
• 50 grams of flaked almonds
• 3 large free range eggs
• 150 grams of golden caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon of Bicarb
1. To begin pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 or 180 degrees, then grease and line two loaf baking tins, to make the baking parchment stick use a little olive oil or dairy free butter as this cake is diary free.
2. Next grate your large courgettes on the course side of your box grater, to begin the cake in a large mason and cash mixing bowl add your olive oil, sugar and whisk till light and fluffy as this helps to impart air to the cake batter.
3. Once the sugar has melted away into the olive oil add one large egg at a time and whisk the eggs in, then add your vanilla paste.
4. Then using a fine sieve in your self raising flour and bicarb by sieving your bicarb in with your flour this ensures that the bicarb is equally mixed through the flour and cake mix.
5. Using a spatula fold in your flour as this is where the air is incorporated into the cake,
6. To finish add your flaked almonds, pistachio nuts and lastly your grated courgettes do this in three stages as this helps to ensure that your courgette is properly mixed through the cake mixture.
7. Decant your cake mix into the lined moulds and then place in the oven and bake for one hour till the cake is golden brown and baked through to check that the cake is perfectly cooked through use either a sharp paring knife or cake spike to check that the cake is baked equally thoroughly if you find the cake baking uneven or taking to much colour.
8. Cover with tin foil half way through.
The Gourmet Gent 