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    Home » Recipes

    Lemon and Courgette Cake Tray bake

    Published: Jun 10, 2022 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Louise-Claire Cayzer · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    You're going to love this lush, softly green, Lemon and Courgette Cake in a Tray bake. It's a fluffy, light and delicately tender cake made with courgette (zucchini) and is topped with lemon drizzle and pistachios for the ultimate in easy summer baking.

    Lemon and courgette cake on a cooling tray with one piece taken out. this recipe

    This courgette/zucchini cake is especially perfect in the summer when you have a glut of summer squash to use up! It comes together without much fuss. Just a bit bit of grating and whisking. Crucially, it is perfect with a simple lemon glaze, rather than heavy frosting, which makes it great for sticky summer afternoons or taking as an end to a BBQ or picnic.

    This traybake cake is actually a light summery version of my carrot cake, and sister to my gloriously green spinach and cardamom cake. There is something magical about using veggies as a hidden ingredient in a cake. They add extra moisture, a little of their own sweet flavour and always make for an interesting talking point!

    Jump to:
    • 🌿Ingredients
    • 👩‍🍳Instructions
    • 🍋Substitutions
    • 💚Variations
    • 🔪Equipment
    • 🍯Storage
    • ❗Top tip
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🌿Ingredients

    • Courgette/ Zucchini- A lovely fresh zucchini/courgette simply grated.
    • Lemon- zest and juice - choose un waxed as you want the zest.
    • Plain Flour (all purpose flour)- you can also use spelt flour.
    • Aquafaba (the water from a tin of chickpeas)- A standard 16oz/400g can of chickpeas will have the correct amount of aquafaba for this cake. Approx 14 tablespoon total. Aquafaba is really good for replacing eggs in recipes such as light, fluffy cakes.
    • Sugar- plain white sugar. I generally use cane sugar or sugar beet sugar (here in the UK all sugar is vegan. If you are in the USA, please check!)
    • Vanilla essence
    • Baking powder.

    See the recipe card for the quantities. I have included USA standard cup measurements, however, as with all baking, I suggest you weigh your ingredients for the most consistent results!

    👩‍🍳Instructions

    Follow along with these photos to make your perfect courgette and lemon cake traybake with a beautiful lemon drizzle glaze.

    Grate the zest of one lemon. Be sure not to get the bitter pith.

    Grate the zest of one lemon. Be sure not to get the bitter pith. Save the rest of the lemon for the glaze.

    Grate the courgette/zucchini.

    Grate the courgette/zucchini. If you choose a fine grater the courgette will look more subtle. Or a courser grate will be a little more obvious in the cake.

    Pat the courgette dry with a paper towel or clean cloth. Don't skip this step or you will end up with soggy cake!

    Pat the courgette dry with a paper towel or clean cloth. Don't skip this step or you will end up with soggy cake!

    In a large bowl add the sugar and lemon zest. Scrunch the zest into the sugar.

    In a large bowl add the sugar and lemon zest. Scrunch the zest into the sugar. This releases the oils in the zest, making a more lemon-fragrant cake!

    Add 14 Tablespoons of aquafaba to the sugar. (roughly equivelant to the juice in a single can of chickpeas).

    Add 14 Tablespoons of aquafaba to the sugar. (roughly equivelant to the juice in a single can of chickpeas). Save the chickpeas and make hummus later.

    Add the oil and vanilla essence then whisk until thick and smooth, and the sugar has dissolved somewhat.

    Add the oil and vanilla essence then whisk until thick and smooth, and the sugar has dissolved somewhat.

    Add the flour & baking powder. Mix well.

    Add the flour & baking powder. Mix well.

    MIx in the grated courgette. Mix it in well so it is evenly disributed in the batter.

    Mix in the grated courgette. Mix it in well so it is evenly distributed in the batter.

    The mixture should look like this when ready.

    The mixture should look like this when ready.

    Line a traybake tin (mine is 32cm x 22 cm) and spread out the mixture.

    Line a traybake tin (mine is 32cm x 22 cm) and spread out the mixture.

    Bake at 180C /375 for 35 minutes.

    Bake at 180C /375 for 35 minutes. The size of your tray may vary so check at 30 mins. The cake is ready when a skewer comes out clean.

     Cool the cake on a cooling rack.

    Cool the cake on a cooling rack.When it is cool, mix up the lemon juice with icing powder /icing sugar and drizzle over the top.

    Hint: Don't skip the step of patting dry the courgette! It needs a pat & a squeeze otherwise your cake will be soggy!

    🍋Substitutions

    I specify a light sunflower oil in the ingredients, however you can also use melted vegan butter, or organic rapeseed oil or light olive oil.

    Instead of using a 32cm by 22cm ( traybake cake can be made as a layer cake, or as a large single round cake too. For a layer cake, divide the batter into two sponge tins. The cooking time might vary so be careful when baking.

    💚Variations

    • Lime- This refreshing cake can be made with limes instead of lemon. Use the zest of two limes in the cake batter and lime juice in the drizzle.
    • Nuts- add pistachios or walnuts to the batter as well as on top.
    • Yellow Summer Squash/Zucchini- any of the summer squash can be used in place of courgette. Just be sure to pat them dry once grated.
    A pile of courgette cake slices with lemon drizzle being poured over.

    🔪Equipment

    This tray bake cake recipe comes together without any fancy equipment, you'll just need:

    1. A good box grater
    2. A traybake tin 32cm by 22cm (12 x 9")

    🍯Storage

    The courgette and lemon cake keeps well in an airtight container, in a cool place for 5 to 7 days.

    You can freeze the cake, without frosting, for up to three months. Warm it up in the oven for a few minutes to 'refresh' the flavours!

    ❗Top tip

    Be sure to pat the courgette dry, and really incorporate it well into the batter.

    If you love this recipe, please share this post with your friends on Pinterest or Facebook, or tag me on Insta! Don't forget to also please comment and star ⭐this recipe too!

    Love & Vegan Yummies,

    Louise xx (P.S. Follow me on Insta and Tik Tok!)

    📖 Recipe

    A pile of lemon courgette cake slices with lemon drizzle being dripped over.

    Lemon and Courgette Cake Traybake

    Louise-Claire Cayzer
    A deliciously light and fluffy cake created with summer courgettes and lemon! Made with aquafaba instead of eggs so this recipe is 100% vegan!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Afternoon Tea, birthday cake, Dessert
    Cuisine cake, Vegan
    Servings 12 Slices
    Calories 293 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 A traybake tin 32cm by 22cm (12 x 9")
    • 1 A good box grater

    Ingredients Note:

    For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.

    (Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)

    Ingredients

    For the cake

    • 150 ml (⅔ cups) sunflower oil ((or other neutral oil such as light olive oil))
    • 14 Tbs (14 Tbs) Aquafaba ((chickpea water) unbeaten. The equivilant of the liquid in a standard 400g/16oz chickpea tin (can) )
    • 225 g (1 ¼ cups) sugar
    • 200 g (1 ⅔ cups) courgette (a courgette is the same as a zucchini. This is the equivilant to one medium courgette. )
    • 300 g (2 ½ cups) plain flour ((all purpose flour) )
    • 3 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 lemon zest
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    For the Icing

    • Juice half lemon
    • ½ cup icing sugar ((powdered sugar))

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
    • Line a traybake tin: 32cm by 22cm (12 x 9")
    • Zest the lemon. Be careful to just get the yellow zest and not the bitter white pith.
      1 lemon zest
    • Grate the courgette/zucchini and pat it dry, squeezing it out a little bit, with a clean cloth to remove the excess moisture. (prevents a soggy cake!)
      200 g courgette
    • Add the sugar to a large bowl, then scrunch the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers. This releases the lemon oil into the sugar and makes the taste more intense.
      225 g sugar, 1 lemon zest
    • Add the aquafaba, oil and vanilla essence to the sugar.
      150 ml sunflower oil, 14 Tbs Aquafaba, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Whisk the oil, aquafaba, and sugar until the mixture is well combined, lighter, and noticeably thickened.
    • Fold in the flour and baking powder. Mix well to combine.
      300 g plain flour, 3 teaspoon baking powder
    • Add the courgette and mix well.
      200 g courgette
    • Pour the cake mix into the prepared baking tin, and spread it out to the corners.
    • Pop in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins. Test with a skewer to see if it is cooked through. If it comes out clean, it's ready to take out of the oven. If it comes out a little gooey, leave the cake in for another 5 mins. The cooking time will really depend on how large your tin is, so if you use a smaller tin, adjust the time to be a little longer.
    • Cool the cake in it's tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a cake rack.
    • Meanwhile, whisk together the icing and lemon juice. Add more icing sugar if necessary, you want a thickish yet drizzable mix.
      Juice half lemon, ½ cup icing sugar
    • Once cool, turn the cake onto a serving plate and drizzle with the icing. Add pistachios or other decorations as desired.

    Notes

    This cake keeps well for at least 5 days in an airtight container. Probably longer but it was gone before I could test it!
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 108mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 34IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword aquafaba, cake with aquafaba, courgette, lemon cake, lemon drizzle
    Tried this recipe and loved it? Follow and Mention @vegan_larder or comment and ⭐ below

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    1. Alisa Infanti says

      June 13, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      The perfect way to sneak some veggies in with the kids!

      Reply
    2. MJ says

      June 13, 2022 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a yummy traybake and so easy to make! Love how pretty it is, too.

      Reply
    3. Toni says

      June 13, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is so perfect!! Everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    4. Emily Flint says

      June 13, 2022 at 4:30 pm

      5 stars
      This cake was so good and adding pistachios to the top was such a good idea. The cake disappeared and everyone was asking for more!

      Reply
    5. Claudia Lamascolo says

      June 13, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic flavors and it was a big hit I will make this cake again!

      Reply

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    Hi! I'm Louise-Claire! I believe vegan and plant-based food should be easy to make, never scary and above all, absolutely delicious. Also, it's for everyone, not just for vegans!

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    I'm a photographer, recipe developer and gardener. You'll find me in the kitchen, in the studio or wandering the garden, picking delicious veggies to make recipes for you! So why not stay a while, check out some of my recipes and try one or two for yourself...Find out more on my About Me page.

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