I’m always up for trying new things, and putting courgette into my chocolate cake is definitely different!

I love a good fairy cake – and they’re much easier for transporting to work and giving out to colleagues, which is why I converted a recipe for one big cake into fairy cakes.No-one could tell the cakes have courgette in – just like in carrot cake, they’re all about providing a moist texture – which is also helped by the fact that it uses olive oil, not butter!

They were very well received – the cake is really soft and the chocolate icing particuarly added that deep chocolate hit!

Adapted into fairy cakes from BBC Good Food

Ingredients

• 350g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 175ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 375g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 500ml grated courgettes (measure by volume in a measuring jug, but it’s about 2 medium courgettes; if using 1 overgrown one, peel first and take out seeds)

FOR THE ICING

• 200g dark chocolate , chopped
• 100ml double cream

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt.

In another bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and grated courgette.

Mix the dry and wet mixture until just combined, then fold in the toasted hazelnuts.

Put about 1.5 tbsps into muffin cases in a muffin tray and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the icing, place the chocolate in a bowl and bring cream to the boil in a saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until completely smooth and melted. Leave the icing to cool slightly and thicken, then spoon over the cakes. Serve with a cup of tea or enjoy as a pud with a spoonful of something creamy.

NB! Courgettes can hold quite a lot of water, which can affect the finished texture of your cake. If your grated courgettes seem watery, place them into a clean cloth and wring out some of the liquid into a bowl. Then add the courgettes to the cake mixture as normal. The timing for cakes containing courgette can depend on the water content of your courgettes, so return the cake to the oven for another 10 mins if it needs it. Simply test with a skewer and make sure it comes out clean.