Mary Berry Courgette Cake Recipe

This Mary Berry-inspired courgette cake is everything I want in a simple homemade bake: beautifully moist, lightly spiced, and brightened with a zingy lime cream cheese frosting. The courgette melts into the crumb as it bakes, so you get a tender texture without any “vegetable” taste. It’s an easy, one-bowl style cake that suits confident beginners and busy home bakers alike. Total time is about 1 hour 20 minutes, including cooling and frosting.

Ingredients

For the courgette cake

• 300g courgette (about 2 medium), coarsely grated
• 250g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 250g light brown soft sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 200ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 80g sultanas or raisins (optional)

For the lime cream cheese frosting

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 120g icing sugar, sifted
• 250g full-fat cream cheese, cold
• Finely grated zest of 2 limes + 1–2 tbsp lime juice (to taste)

How to Make Mary Berry Courgette Cake Recipe

Oven and tin preparation

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle so the cake bakes evenly.
• Line the tin: Grease and line a 23 x 30cm traybake tin with baking parchment, leaving a little overhang so you can lift the cake out later.

Mixing the batter

• Prep the courgette: Grate the courgette, then squeeze it lightly in a clean tea towel or kitchen paper to remove excess moisture. You want it damp, not dripping.
• Whisk the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla for 30 to 45 seconds until glossy and well combined.
• Fold in the dry ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Fold gently until you can no longer see streaks of flour.
• Add the courgette and extras: Fold in the grated courgette, walnuts, and (if using) sultanas until evenly distributed through the batter.

Baking

• Fill the tin: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake: Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cooling and frosting

• Cool properly: Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth. Add the cold cream cheese and beat briefly, just until thick and combined. Stir in the lime zest, then add lime juice a little at a time until it tastes bright and balanced.
• Assemble: Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake. Slice into squares (I like 16) and serve.

Tips

Should I squeeze the courgette first?

Yes, especially if your courgettes are large or very watery. A light squeeze removes excess liquid so the cake bakes up soft and moist, not heavy or damp in the middle.

How do I stop the cream cheese frosting from going runny?

Use full-fat cream cheese and keep it cold. Beat the butter and icing sugar first, then mix in the cream cheese briefly. Overmixing warms it up and loosens the texture.

Why did my cake sink in the centre?

The most common causes are underbaking, opening the oven door too early, or measuring too much raising agent. Bake until a skewer comes out clean and the centre springs back when gently pressed.

Can I make it less sweet?

You can reduce the sugar in the cake by about 25g without changing the texture too much. For a sharper finish, add extra lime zest to the frosting instead of extra icing sugar.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with a cup of tea, especially Earl Grey or English Breakfast.
• Add a scatter of toasted walnuts or extra lime zest over the frosting.
• Turn it into dessert with fresh berries on the side.
• For a picnic, leave it unfrosted and dust with icing sugar instead.

Storage

Room temperature

If the cake is unfrosted, keep it in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 days. If it is frosted with cream cheese, it is best stored chilled.

Refrigerator

Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For the best texture, let a slice sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before eating.

Freezing

Freeze the cake unfrosted for the neatest results. Wrap slabs or individual squares well and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then frost fresh. (Cream cheese frosting can be frozen, but it often softens and becomes slightly grainy after thawing.)

Nutrition

• Calories: 320 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 38g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 17g
• Saturated fat: 5g
• Sodium: 220mg

Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on ingredients and portion size.

FAQs

Mary Berry Courgette Cake Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

squares

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

80

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

1

hour 

Moist, lightly spiced courgette cake with crunchy walnuts and a zingy lime cream cheese frosting. An easy British-style traybake that stays soft for days.

Ingredients

• For the courgette cake

• 300g courgette (about 2 medium), coarsely grated

• 250g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp fine salt

• 250g light brown soft sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 200ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped

• 80g sultanas or raisins (optional)

• For the lime cream cheese frosting

• 60g unsalted butter, softened

• 120g icing sugar, sifted

• 250g full-fat cream cheese, cold

• Finely grated zest of 2 limes + 1–2 tbsp lime juice

Directions

• Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 23 x 30cm traybake tin with baking paper.
• Grate the courgette, then squeeze it lightly in a clean tea towel to remove excess water. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla until glossy and well combined.
• Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Fold until you have a thick batter with no dry patches.
• Fold in the courgette, walnuts, and (if using) sultanas until evenly mixed.
• Spoon the batter into the tin, level the top, then bake for 35–45 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
• For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth. Beat in the cream cheese briefly, then mix in lime zest and juice to taste.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Slice into squares and serve.

Notes

• Squeezing the grated courgette keeps the crumb tender, not wet.
• Use full-fat cream cheese and keep it cold for a thick, spreadable frosting.
• For neat slices, chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes, then cut with a warm knife.